Breaking Hazel: G u y G e r m a i n e
by Funkiechick
Summary: Part 35! Everyone has something on their minds.
1. Scoring In My Spite

Breaking Hazel: A Guy Germaine Story  
  
Prologue: Scoring In My Spite  
By Funkiechick  
  
(There are NO Guy fics out there. I mean, there are plenty of Guy and Connie's, but nearly all of those are from Connie's perspective of what Guy is. I decided to write a Guy fic-he's my favorite character. This will be a loooonng fic. It will go on from Guy being about three years old to being eighteen years old. Yes, the other ducks are in it. Yes, Connie plays a big role. But this a story about Guy. Because it has never been done, and he is my favorite. So enjoy!)  
  
  
He hadn't even been interested in hockey at the beginning.  
  
When Guy Germaine started playing hockey at six years old, with a pathetic home made stick in hand, and an old empty can as the puck, it had not been because he had dreamed of being a hockey player. But Guy had never remembered dreaming of being anything. Not really. So forcing this hockey dream up out of nowhere had been better than nothing at all, especially considering the circumstances. But as soon as he started playing with his pathetic 'equipment', something happened.  
  
He fell in love with the game.  
  
And what reactions were caused because of his minor obsession with the sport, made him love it more.  
  
His step-dad HATED hockey.  
  
Guy did not remember his real father. His 'birth-dad' as his mother so strictly told him as soon as Guy could speak english. He had run out on them when Guy was born, despite the fact his mother said he had wanted a boy. So there were no small memories of playful afternoons at the park, or playing horsie, or anything. Not even photographs. His mother hated dwelling on bad thoughts.  
  
Guy had been fine with it. Just him and his mother. But six months after Guy turned three, his mother married a man named Maxwell Ryanson. Even before the wedding took place, Guy was dead set on keeping his own last name- Germaine. His mother had allowed this wish as long as Guy promised to be as wonderful to Maxwell as he was to her.  
  
That was the last real happy time with his mother that Guy could remember.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"He's a runt, Laurine!" Maxwell boomed, poking three-and a half year old Guy Germaine in the stomach. They were in the living room-a room Guy had never been in before- the day after Guy and his mother moved in with Max after the wedding. "Look how small he is."  
  
"Oh, he'll grow Max." His mother smiled. "Runs in the family. My eldest sister's son was just about Guy's size when he was Guy's age. But as soon as he turned thirteen-WHOOSH. He's now nineteen years old and 6'3. Guy will grow."  
  
"Well, what happens when Guy is thirteen doesn't matter." Max retorted. "I want him to start playing football when he turns six! He better be bigger by then, or the little guy will pay for it." Max guffawed. "But maybe that'll do him good-get him used to the rough and toughness of football."  
  
"Max." Laurine said, her voice breathy. Her voice was always breathy when she was a little nervous. "Guy doesn't have to start football unless he wants to." She smiled at her son. "Right?"  
  
Guy smiled slightly at his mother. The first smile he'd given her in a week. "Maybe." He said quietly. "Can I go play outside?"  
  
"I don't think so." Max said, interrupting Laurine. "Get used to the house, boy! And we'll be sitting down to dinner soon. I want to show you my power saws while your mother cooks." He knelt down to look in Guy's hazel eyes. "How does that sound?"  
  
Guy shrugged. "Maybe."  
  
Max's face changed. "You don't say 'maybe' to your father, son. Strait answer!"  
  
Guy cowered slightly. "Okay..."  
  
"Good." Max nodded at Laurine. "He needs some discipline. It's a damn good thing you met me Laurine, or he might have turned out homo!!"  
  
"Max!" Laurine shrilled, appalled. "Don't use that word. Besides, there is nothing wrong with homosexuals."  
  
"Flamin' freaks is what they are." Max grunted. "Come on, boy. We're going to the tool shed."  
  
And reluctantly, Guy followed his soon to be nightmare for the rest of his life, into the tool shed.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Guy rammed his toy firetruck into the side of the sandbox. He laughed as he made the crashing sounds. From a park bench nearby, his mother smiled.  
  
Max had finally went back to work after a week. With Max working, Guy could finally go back to some of the things he used to like to do. Until Max came home anyway. And Laurine loved seeing her son enjoy the outdoors. Max had thrown a fit when Guy hadn't wanted to watch a football game with him, but thank God Guy had enjoyed tossing a miniature football back and forth. If he hadn't, Max had sworn Guy would be hopeless as a man.  
  
"VROOM!" Guy shouted, ramming the truck into the sandbox again.  
  
"HEY!"  
  
He looked up slightly, still quietly banging the firetruck at the box, to see a small little girl with short brown hair glaring at him.  
  
"This is MY sandbox."  
  
Guy blinked. "It is?"  
  
"Yes. Avermen and Goldurg and Peter said so." The girl then gave him a smile. "I had to punch and punch them, but then they said it was mine."  
  
"Oh." Guy sat back on his rump. "Well, I didn't know."  
  
"I'm Connie." She smiled again. "My mom says my name starts with a C. No one else my age knows how to spell their name in my neighborhood!"  
  
"I do." Guy replied. "G-U-Y."  
  
Connie glowered at him. "I'm free..." She held up three fingers. "How old are you?"  
  
"Three and a half." Guy said, speaking almost perfectly for a three year old.  
  
"Well, that explains it." Connie nodded. "You're a whole half year older than ME." She smiled. "Come on, you can play with me if you want. You'll be the only kid my age in my neighborhood that I let in my sandbox."  
  
And thus, Guy was smitten as she stuffed sand down his overalls.   
  
As Connie and Guy played, the mothers of the other neighborhood children (including Connie's mother) became friends with Guy's mom. Guy's mother was the only one out of all of them who wasn't with a career. Max said it wouldn't do for a woman to do a man's work.  
  
Guy supposed that was supposed to be romantic, but he didn't really think so.  
  
Laurine had talked and laughed with the mothers the whole afternoon while Guy and Connie played in the sandbox. And his mother hadn't kept track of time.  
  
When Max saw Guy playing in sandbox, he almost lost it. But when he discovered it was with a girl, he just couldn't hold it in.  
  
"Your son is like a little GIRL!!" Max yelled. "How have you been raising him!!? Did you give him DOLLS to play with!?"  
  
"Max, he's three years old!!"  
  
And while Max insulted his mother's raising children abilities, Guy watched on, sitting on the kitchen floor. He hated Max.  
  
He was four when Max started hitting. It started with a hard slap to the shoulder when she failed to have dinner ready at six. Just a little slap that was to be followed by many others as Max temper with both Laurine and Guy started to rise.  
  
Guy had changed. He was living in a poor neighborhood, with only one parent working. He wasn't wealthy. He was a poor kid, like the others. So he started acting more like the friends he had met when he was three. Tough. Mouthy. He was growing up in a dirty environment.  
  
Connie had taken the liberty of introducing him to Greg Goldburg, Les Avermen, Charlie Conway, Karp, Peter, Jesse and Terry Hall. And soon, he started to act like them.  
  
And after he witnessed Max's hitting his mother, Guy became very protective of Connie. If you laid a hand on her, Guy took you on. Hell, if Guy saw any female being hurt, he would jump to her defense. He was determined not to turn out like his step-dad.  
  
Finally, after he turned six, his step-dad tried to start him on football. Guy wasn't bad. But he wasn't interested. Black eyes had been part of last night's dinner-because apparently Laurine had been buying Guy presents with Max's money. Guy had found an old green-handstitched hat in the attic the night before. Max wouldn't believe that it was old. Guy decided not to listen to Max, and wore it everyday. Soon, Max let it go and stopped blaming it on Laurine. Football became the antidote for Guy's 'girly fondness' of his hat.  
  
"Boy." Max said to Guy. "Football is the American sport. I always dreamed I'd teach it to my son. And now I will." He handed Guy a football. "Just like my dad taught me."  
  
Guy tossed it, and it landed in a satisfying thump next to Max's feet.   
  
"Good toss." Max nodded. "Football is the way to go. Not like golf, or HOCKEY." Max growled. "Hockey is a damn Canadian, pansy ass sport." He shook his head. "I hate hockey." Max started to go on about how Hockey required a girl's skill-skating. And that hockey was as easy as 'putting on shoes'.  
  
The next day, Guy had suggested to his friends that they start a hockey team. And as he put a stick together with some old wood from Max's tool shed, Max didn't speak to him for a week.   
  
And thus, hockey became an everyday part of Guy Germaine's life.  
  
END OF PROLOGUE 


	2. Understanding What You Don't Know

Breaking Hazel  
Part 1: Understanding What You Don't Know  
By Funkiechick  
  
  
"I KICK ASS!!!" Nine year old Guy Germaine shouted as he skated (stumbled) along the ice after shooting a goal past Goldburg. "Did you SEE that?"  
  
"Anyone could get it past Goldburg." Peter scoffed next to Guy. Goldburg started to protest, but then seemed to think better of it.  
  
"Give Guy some credit, Pete." Connie glided swiftly by them. "Some of us have no aim."  
  
"She's one of the only ones out of us who can skate." Averman joked, as he wobbled by.   
  
"We still suck." Jesse said.  
  
"Don't think that we SUCK." Charlie said, shooting the puck at Goldburg. He scored, and Goldburg started whining. "We just need improvement."  
  
"MAJOR improvement." Terry added.  
  
"Hey Karp." Connie called behind to the chubby boy as she skidded to a stop next to Guy. "Why are you still lyin' there? You fell on the ice about an hour ago."  
  
"It's much better than skating around like an idiot..." Karp muttered. Connie glowered, and skated up to him in high speed, and then cutting a quick stop, spreading ice and snow all over Karp's face.  
  
"You're the only one who looks like an idiot." Connie muttered.  
  
"Stop clowning around, guys." Charlie said, always the peacemaker. "We just need to get more practice time."  
  
"I'm free tonight." Terry raised his hand.  
  
"Me too." Peter nodded.   
  
"I might be busy tonight..." Connie mused, crossing her arms.  
  
"Me too." Guy said.  
  
"Busy doing WHAT, you two?" Peter said slyly, and Guy and Connie pushed him to the ice while the other ducks laughed.  
  
"I have synagogue at eight." Goldburg said, skating out wobbily from the net. "But until them I'm free. Hey, if you can hide me, maybe I can skip synagogue too."  
  
"I'm free as a bird." Averman glided by them.  
  
"Good." Charlie grinned. "I have something to tell you guys anyway." He glanced at Karp. "Stand UP."  
  
Guy glanced at his watch. He had to be home before Max. He didn't like leaving his mother alone with him. Not for long anyway. He had to be there to take the blame for anything Max would blame on his mother.  
  
"Can you hurry this up?" Guy asked. "I need to go home and check with mom to see if I can come tonight."  
  
"It'll only take a second." Terry shook his head at Guy.  
  
"In a year, we'll be old enough to play peewee." Charlie said. "Most of us, anyway. If most of us are of age, then we can play. And since we're district 5..." Charlie shrugged. "Well, we can enter for next year."  
  
Everyone stared at Charlie. "Are you serious?" Peter spluttered.  
  
"Charlie, lets me honest with ourselves." Averman said. "We SUCK."  
  
"Shut up, Averman." Jesse snapped.  
  
"Yeah." Connie agreed. "We could do it. We're not THAT bad."  
  
Guy grinned at Connie. "If you take out Karp and Goldburg."  
  
"Oh fine! Pick on the chubby guys!" Goldburg protested. "We have no feelings."  
  
"So how does it sound?" Charlie asked. "Seriously."  
  
Everyone was silent for awhile, and Connie was the first to speak up. "Well..." She started. "I think we should check with our parent first...and then start practicing."  
  
"You kick ass, girl." Jesse bumped hips with her, and grinned. Peter smacked her shoulder affectionately.  
  
"I'm in." He said.  
  
"Me too." Karp nodded, and Averman and Goldburg agreed. Soon everyone had given the okay-except Guy.  
  
"You gonna keep with us?" Terry asked. Guy sighed.  
  
"I still have to ask my mom."  
  
"Your mom's cool, though." Goldburg said.  
  
"Yeah, she'll say yes." Averman agreed. Guy just shrugged, and glanced around at his team mates.  
  
"I still have to check. I'm gonna head back now."  
  
He turned on his skate, and glided his way to the edge of the pond. As he skidded to a halt, Charlie skidded up next to him.  
  
"Hey, we really want you on the team, Guy." Charlie said, his voice persuasive. "It was your idea for all of us to start playing hockey in the first place."  
  
"I know..." Guy sighed, taking off his skates, and grabbing his snow boots laying on the ground.  
  
"So..." Charlie said. "Can you promise us that you'll be part of district 5?"  
  
Guy grinned slightly, and looked back at his other team mates. They were all trying hard to look like they weren't interested in his conversation with Charlie. But Connie winked at him, and smiled.  
  
"Okay, fine." Guy said. "I'll persuade mom to say yes, no matter what." He gave Charlie his boyish smile. "I'm part of district 5."  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"Peewee?" His mother said, looking up from the soup she was stirring. She smiled. "That little hockey team you started has gone a long way. It sounds okay to me."  
  
"I knew you'd say yes, mom." Guy sighed. "But I wont join if you really don't want me to. I mean, if you need me to keep you company. And Max'll get mad."  
  
"I wish you'd call him 'dad', Guy." His mother stopped stirring. "It would mean a lot to him."  
  
"Well, he's not my dad." Guy answered bluntly. "But the point is if you want me to play hockey because it makes me happy, or you happy." Guy looked at his feet. "I wont leave you alone with Max if he's going to kick you around."  
  
"Guy." His mother sighed, and she set her hands on her son's shoulders. "Don't talk like that. I'm not kicked around by anyone." Guy started to protest, but his mother gave him a stern look. "You are going to play hockey."  
  
Guy said nothing.  
  
"And you will not go around telling me that Max kicks me around. Now go." She swatted Guy's shoulder lightly. "Go out and play with your friends."  
  
Guy bit his lip, and turned on his heel. He opened the front door warily, and saw Max pull into the driveway. Guy quickly grabbed his hockey equipment (a stick and his skates slung over his shoulder) and tried to walk on without Max noticing.  
  
"Off to play with your little friends?" Max asked, his tone sarcastic. "You should be at home." Guy didn't say anything, and kept walking. "You listen to me when I'm talking to you, Guy!!!"  
  
Max never called him by his name. It was always 'boy this, boy that.' Guy turned his head, and stopped walking. "What?"   
  
"You come back inside! I didn't give you permission to leave!"  
  
But Guy ignored Max, and started running off to the hockey pond before Max could really do anything. He kept running until he reached the pond, and thew on his skates as fast as he could. He ignored the greetings from his friends, and shot out on the ice.   
  
He was a coward. He left Max angry. Angry and alone with his mother.   
  
"Guy." Connie skated up to him. She wasn't smiling. "Are you okay?"  
  
Guy nodded slightly at her. "Yeah, I'm fine." Averman skidded up next to him.   
  
"Your mom got mad at you? So did mine. But dad convinced her." Averman grinned. Guy nodded back.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
And he skated off with the guys, Charlie trying to get them to skate laps (it didn't work, they kept falling on each other).  
  
Connie kept looking at him sadly, as if asking him why he wouldn't tell her what was wrong. She didn't get into the game, and she didn't push Averman over when he said 'HEY, BABE!' and passed her the puck.   
  
But Guy couldn't tell her what the problem was. He couldn't tell anyone. Then they would know that he was just a little pussy who wouldn't stay home and protect his mother. All he did was run away and hide.  
  
Only when he played hockey did he feel completely free of Max. He shot their ugly, duct tape covered puck into the net, past a joking around Goldburg and smiled.  
  
At least on the ice, he could do things right once in a while. "Good shot." Peter said in awe.  
  
"Not bad." Jesse nodded. He slugged Guy's arm.   
  
"We should get a game against eachother. You know, so we get used to playing against people." Karp suggested.  
  
"Connie and Terry, your captains." Golburg ordered. Connie grinned at Terry, and they started to split up the group.  
  
"Guy." Connie said. Peter rolled his eyes.  
  
"No surprise there."  
  
"Shut up." Guy snapped, shoving the smaller boy as he skated by him.  
  
"Jesse." Terry said.  
  
"Charlie." Connie called.  
  
"Karp."  
  
"Peter."  
  
"Averman."  
  
"Goldburg."  
  
"You guys have to sub one." Jesse said.   
  
"I'll go off." Peter offered, and he sat down on the bench beside the pond. Connie sent Goldburg in net, and her and Guy proceeded to go forward while Charlie went on Defense.   
  
Starting the face off, Guy stared intently at Jesse opposite of him. Jesse grinned at him. "We'll probably end up falling on our asses instead of playing."  
  
"True." Guy nodded. "But, we will be the best at falling on our asses."  
  
Jesse snorted, and him and Guy burst out laughing as Peter dropped the puck for the face off. Jesse hit it between Guy's legs, and then skated (yes skated, Jesse was a good skater) behind Guy to get the puck. But Connie was ready, and as she had the puck, she started skating down the ice.   
  
The game went on, with lots of laughing and falling down, and overall not taking the playing very seriously. They were having fun. Until Connie was about to score again.  
  
It had been a harmless shove. A playful one. And she had been laughing when she landed on her butt. But when Guy saw Jesse shove her, he didn't hear anything around him anymore. He skated up to Jesse, and checked him.  
  
Jesse landed on his back, unhurt. But he was angry. He sputtered swears as he wobbily stood up.  
  
"What the hell was THAT for?!" Jesse exclaimed. The rest of the team made it's way over to the conflict. "What kinda shit are you pullin', Guy!?"  
  
"You pushed Connie." Guy glared, his voice steady and low.   
  
Everyone was silent. Surprised and bewildered. Yeah, Jesse had pushed her. It was part of hockey, and she was fine.  
  
"What's your point?" Karp asked.  
  
"You pushed her." Guy snapped again. Connie stood up then, and looked at Guy.  
  
"I'm fine, Guy. Jesse and I were just screwing around. Besides, it's hockey. I'm bound to be pushed around, like everyone else."  
  
"Yeah, Guy. Don't get all spazzy about it." Averman said. Peter and Goldburg agreed, and Terry dusted snow of his brother's shirt.  
  
Charlie however, was silent. He looked at Guy with a look of almost understanding. Like he almost knew where Guy was coming from.  
  
"Guy, I'm not a wimp." Connie said angrily. "Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean that I need special treatment. I can take a hit as well as most of you."  
  
'None of them know what taking a hit really means...' Guy thought. He shook his head. They had a point. It was hockey. A rough game. And Jesse had been fooling around, Connie was fine. "Sorry guys." Guy said, looking at his hockey stick. "I'm tired. I was over reacting."  
  
"No shit." Jesse muttered. Guy looked at him, and held out his hand.  
  
"You forgiving me or what, Hall?" Guy asked. Jesse just grinned, and took his hand.  
  
"You're a bitch when you're tired." Terry said.  
  
"Oooooh. Guy Ger-MAI-aiiinne, is a bitch when he's TI-eeeerrrddd." Averman grinned. He then looked over at Connie. "How is our princess?"  
  
"I don't know, why don't you ask yourself? You're the only princess I see around here." Connie said to Averman.  
  
"Ooooohh, buuurrrnn!!!" Peter laughed.  
  
"You know very well how Connie feels about being addressed that way." Goldburg said, pretend scolding Averman. "Now apologize to princess."  
  
"Oh shut up!!" Connie said, shoving them all over. Charlie then laughed, his first noise since the pushing situation.  
  
"Okay guys, lets start up again." Charlie said.  
  
"Peter. I'm out." Guy said, skated to the short guy. Peter raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I thought you were gonna play the whole night." Peter grinned, and Guy just smiled half heartily. Peter's grin disapeared. "Hey, you okay?"  
  
"Fine. Tired. Just tired." He skated to the sides, and Connie skidded up next to him.  
  
"Thanks anyway Guy." She smiled. "I don't want you treating me like I'm a wuss, but I know you were just..." She looked down at her feet.  
  
"Worried about you, Cons." Guy took her hand and squeezed it. He saw her cheeks turn pink, and she smiled at him shyly.   
  
"Yeah. You don't have to worry." She looked up at him, still blushing. "I can take care of myself, but thanks anyway."  
  
As she skated off, Guy watched her. During the whole game, he watched. And from them on, Guy never got angry at his team mates when they joked around with Connie the same way they joked around with eachother. He trusted them, they wouldn't hurt her. And even though they didn't know what his house was like, he had a strange feeling that they understood without knowing what was happening anyway.  
  
"YEAH CONNIE! Kick Terry's butt!" Guy called, as Connie and Terry fought over the puck. He smiled a real smile. For the first time in a long while, everything was okay.  
  
END OF PART 1 


	3. Crying As The Strong

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 2: Crying As The Strong  
By Funkiechick  
  
(I like this story so far. I'm having a good time with it. I hope you all are two so far. Enjoy part 2.)  
  
Ouch.  
  
First word that popped into Guy's head as he woke up. He touched his eyebrow slightly, and then winced while sucking in air. He'd been late the night before, and he hadn't listened to Max. So for the first time, Max had smacked him hard on the head. His eyebrow bone was slightly bruised and bumped, but nothing too noticeable. At least Max hadn't hit his mother. That was all that mattered.  
  
Still, Guy hated how is dream of himself being the first nine-year old in the NHL, and Connie jumping into his arms and kissing him in congratulations for winning the Stanley cup, had been interrupted.   
  
He yawned, and pulled himself wearily out of bed. He glanced at his clock-8:45am. Wait a second...  
  
It was Monday.  
  
"AAH SHIT!!" Guy jumped over to his closet. He pulled out a huge pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt that had also been found in the attic. It read 'CATS' across the front, with pictures of the Broadway cast.  
  
Guy wouldn't admit that he became a musical lover since he found that shirt.  
  
But never the less, the guys could never find out. So he grabbed a t-shirt, and pulled it over the long sleeved one. He then grabbed his green hat that sat faithfully on his night table, and threw it on his head.  
  
He ran into the bathroom, which wasn't being used. Guy found this odd, but didn't think about it. He didn't have time. He brushed his teeth, spread some deodorant, and grabbed his backpack that was waiting for him at the front door.  
  
"DON'T HAVE TIME FOR BREAKFAST!" He called out. He pulled on his roller blades, and threw his running shoes into his backpack. "BYE MOM!!!!"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Mom!?" Guy called. "MO-OOM."  
  
Still nothing. Guy didn't have time to check, he was late. And besides, he woke up later than usual-she probably went out.  
  
He grabbed a key from the counter, and raced outside and locked up. He shoved the key in his pocket, and rollerbladed off to school.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey Guy." Connie greeted him, sitting on the curb. She stood up as he bladed over to her, her own roller blades on.  
  
"Connie, you waited." Guy grinned. "We're both really late."  
  
"Everyone else left." Connie shrugged. "I figured SOMEONE had to wait for you,"  
  
Guy gave her his trade mark smile. "Thanks." They skated along silently, and Guy glanced down at her ungloved hand, brushing slightly against his own. Feeling brave, he took her hand in his own. She looked at their hands, and them him-all very quickly. She continued looking at him, and they both stopped skating.  
  
She smiled then, a big and beautiful smile. She clutched his hand tighter, and they started skating towards school again.  
  
"I'm excited about this whole peewee hockey thing." Connie said, somewhat breathlessly, and blushing furiously. "I mean, really excited."  
  
"Me too." Guy nodded.   
  
"No, I mean..." Connie sighed. "I never realized how much I actually loved hockey until Charlie suggested the peewee thing. It's a part of my life now, I can see me all grown up and still playing it."  
  
"It's weird..." Guy said. "I never really thought about it much, until I mentioned it to you guys. And now I just...love it. Seriously. It's as much of me as breathing is."  
  
Connie looked at him and smiled again. "Even if we lose, or whatever. I'm glad we're playing. It's fun."  
  
"You're really good." Guy complimented. "You're one of our best skaters. You and Jesse."  
  
"So are you." Connie said, some what indignantly. "We're ALL good, we just have a hard time working our skill into an actual game."  
  
"You could be coach." Guy grinned, and bumped hips with her. Then Connie didn't smile.  
  
"Omigod, we have to have a COACH."  
  
Guy stopped smiling.  
  
"He'll take all the FUN out of this!"  
  
"Shit...."  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I never thought of THAT..." Karp sighed, his head thunking on the lunchroom table.  
  
"A coach." Peter nodded, as if he couldn't believe it. "A dumb coach..."  
  
"So much for US." Goldburg said.  
  
"Damnit!" Jesse kicked the table. "I was looking FORWARD to this, too!"  
  
"Do you two HAVE to bring bad news?" Averman asked Guy and Connie angrily. "What do you DO, Guy? Whisper romantic district 5 disasters to her?"  
  
"Oh shut up." Guy growled.  
  
"Knowing Dad..." Terry muttered. "He'll be glad we have a coach. And he's already given up his free time from work to set up schedules to see us play. We can't back out."  
  
"Come on, guys." Charlie said, sipping his milk from a carton. "It might not be so bad."  
  
"Shut up, eternal optimist!" Goldburg snapped.  
  
"ALL of you shut up!" Connie retorted. "This will work out! No coach can take the fun out of hockey for us."  
  
"Yeah, Connie. 'Cause that's SO what you said this morning." Guy rolled his eyes, his voice sarcastic. Teasing her. Connie glared at him.  
  
"You shut up." She smacked his head, catching the side where Max had hit him the night before.  
  
"Shit!" Guy winced, and pulled his hands up to cover the spot. Connie pulled her hand away slowly, and everyone's facial expressions changed.  
  
"Woah, you okay?" Jesse asked.  
  
"I'm fine." Guy snapped.  
  
"I didn't mean to hurt you." Connie said, reaching her hand up to touch the bump. Guy pulled away.  
  
"I'm FINE." He glared at everyone. "Lay off."  
  
"What did you do?" Connie asked, ignoring his warning. "Did you fall on the ice, or something? That's pretty bad." She took his hand, and lowered it.   
  
"Look at us, Guy." Charlie snapped. Guy fingered him with his other hand (which received some laughs from the other guys).  
  
"That's pretty bad." Goldburg said, looking at the bump.  
  
"How come we didn't notice it?" Karp commented.  
  
"Because it's no big deal." Guy snapped at him.  
  
"Because your hair was covering it." Terry answered.  
  
"Do you need to see the nurse or something?" Peter suggested.  
  
"Yeah, the nurse is a good idea." Charlie agreed.  
  
Connie and Jesse stayed quiet, watching him, with Connie brushing her finger gently across the bump.  
  
"Leave him alone, guys." Jesse said. "Okay?" Everyone glanced at Jesse, Guy included. "It's probably embarrassing, so he doesn't want to talk about it." He grinned at Guy. "Right?"  
  
Jesse understood. He didn't know, but he didn't butt in. Guy nodded. "Yeah." He looked at Connie. "I'm fine."  
  
"Hm." Connie pulled her hand away and went back to her lunch. Guy sighed, and mouthed a 'thanks' at Jesse, who winked.   
  
'No problem.' He mouthed back.  
  
"Anyways..." Charlie said, breaking the awkward silence. "Uhm, do we know what coach we're getting yet."  
  
"Nope." Peter said, biting his lip slightly. "Nope uh...maybe we'll be lucky and get a parent or something."  
  
"Your dad's cool," Averman said to Terry. Terry shook his head.  
  
"Dad only has time to come to games, and even THAT he has to make up for on overtime at work."  
  
"My mom could." Charlie shrugged. Everyone burst out laughing. Charlie crossed his arms. "Oh shut up." He glowered.  
  
"I think we have to leave it to the Peewee people or something." Karp said.  
  
"Peewee people?" Goldburg smirked, and tried to stifle a laugh.  
  
"Karp, you're an idiot." Averman laughed, shaking his head.  
  
"Hey, Guy? You have a step-dad, don't you?" Jesse asked. "How about him?"  
  
'Oh GOD. They can't even MEET him...shit shit shit. Act normal, Guy.' "Can't. He HATES hockey." 'DAMNIT. Don't SAY that to a bunch of people as obsessed with hockey as you are!'  
  
"And he doesn't mind you playing?" Connie asked.  
  
"N-no." Guy stuttered.  
  
Everyone shrugged, and went back to the normal conversation. All this reminding of Max made Guy think of this morning...where was his mother?  
  
He shook his head.   
  
'Don't worry. Logical explanation...logical...'  
  
"I feel sick." Guy suddenly said. "I'm gonna go home."  
  
Everyone glanced at him.  
  
"Want me to skip and blade home with you?" Jesse asked. Guy shrugged.   
  
"Nah, it's okay. Just a fucking headache. No biggie. See you all tonight."  
  
"Bye Guy." Averman said for everyone. Connie raised an eyebrow, and then went back into the conversation with the others. Jesse continued looking at him, and Charlie wasn't smiling.  
  
'I have to make up an excuse for those two tomorrow...and Connie...' Guy thought about her. 'GOD, Connie. Don't be so worried about a pussy like me.'  
  
He went to the office, stating he was sick and that his mom was picking him up. The secretary just glared at him suspiciously, but granted his wish to leave the school. He left, with only his rollerblades and leaving his stuff in his locker, and skated home as fast as humanly possible.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jesse doodled on his notebook as the teacher rambled on. Damn that Guy. 'He's hiding something from us.'  
  
Guy wasn't supposed to. They were his best friends. And Connie...Jesse gazed over at the pretty girl, who (like him) wasn't paying any attention. 'God, why won't he tell CONNIE? If she thought of me, the way she thinks of him, I wouldn't hide anything from her.'  
  
Guy and Jesse had always been good friends. Jesse supposed Guy was his best friend, but the two would never actually say that to each other. That's one way they were similar-they had trouble with what they felt sometimes. Yeah, Jesse spoke his mind. But sentimental stuff, he and Guy got that out with actions.  
  
And even though something was obviously bugging Guy, he wouldn't tell either him or Connie. And that meant it was bad. Or embarrassing. One or the other.  
  
"Psst.." Jesse whispered to Connie across from him. "Oi, Connie."  
  
Connie looked up, and then over at him. She leaned over slightly. "Yeah, what?" She whispered back.  
  
"I say we stop at Guy's place-"  
  
"After school. Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." She smiled. "I'm glad someone besides me noticed he's upset about something. Charlie just thinks he's in a bad mood because, and I quote." Connie lowered her voice to sound like Charlie's. "'He's mad because HIS hockey team is becoming something else!'" Connie shrugged, and her voice went back to normal. "Poor misguided Charlie."  
  
"Charlie means okay." Jesse shrugged. "But he's an optimist. You know that. Anyways." Jesse glanced up, and noticed the teacher was beginning to look their way. "You and me will go to Guy's house after school, right?"  
  
Connie nodded, and gave him that gorgeous smile that made his face flush. "Yup. And Jesse..." She looked down, and then back at him. "Thanks for not being an ass. The other guys would just let it go, or get embarrassed about admitting they care about a friend. And that's okay, but..." She nodded. "Thanks."  
  
And she went back to not paying attention-writing stories in her notebook- and Jesse stared for awhile before he took his eyes off her.  
  
'Bad Jesse. Idiotic dumbass Jesse.' Jesse thought. 'You DON'T start letting your crush on your best friend's girl pop up. That would be bad.'  
  
Besides. That wasn't what was important right now. His small crush on Connie didn't matter, next to the fact that Guy obviously had some shit going on. But still...he could be a little jealous, couldn't he?  
  
Nah, he'd act tough. For now.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Guy was not surprised when Connie and Jesse were at the door when he answered. At least, that Jesse was there. Connie, he had expected. Maybe some scolding from Charlie. But Jesse? Jesse and Guy were best friends, yeah. But when Guy started moping, Jesse often just smacked his head to snap him out of it.  
  
But then again, Guy had enough of a smacked up head already.  
  
"Hey..." Guy said, looking at the two. "What's up?"  
  
"You." Jesse pushed past him, and into the house. Guy rolled his eyes.  
  
"Come on in." He said sarcastically. Connie laughed slightly, and followed Jesse inside. They turned to face Guy.  
  
"What?" Guy asked, shrugging.  
  
"You're acting different, Guy." Connie said.  
  
"And we're worried, moron. So stop it." Jesse blurted.  
  
Guy stared at them. He hadn't been acting well enough. Hadn't done enough to pretend that nothing was wrong. But it was hard to hide things from your best friends...had everyone noticed?  
  
"I'm just tired lately, guys." Guy shrugged. "That's all."  
  
Connie walked past him. "I've never seen your house before." She mused quietly. She seemed happy. Guy had never invited any of them to his house.  
  
Guy stared at her, and then Jesse. "Come on," Guy sighed. "We can talk in my room."  
  
"Guy?"  
  
The three friends turned their head, to see Guy's mother standing in the doorway to the kitchen.  
  
She had stitches on her forehead.  
  
"Mrs. Germaine!" Connie exclaimed. "What happened?"  
  
"Woah!" Jesse stared, open-mouthed. "Jesus! You okay?"  
  
"Oh, I had a fall this morning, that's all." Mrs. Germaine smiled. "Ice on the sidewalk."  
  
"Are you okay?" Connie asked. Guy's mother smiled.  
  
"I'm just fine."  
  
"Come on." Guy said stiffly. He looked at his mom, and Jesse and Connie couldn't understand that sad look in Guy's eyes. "Want me to help with dinner, mum?"  
  
"No dear, it's alright. I'm ordering out, tonight."  
  
She didn't mention Max. Thank God.  
  
"Okay..." Guy left, and Connie and Jesse followed him wearily to his room. He closed the door behind them, and Connie sat on his bed, while Jesse looked at his hockey posters, both trying to act casual. Guy didn't buy it.  
  
"You came to ask me what was wrong, didn't you?" Guy asked.  
  
"Yes." Jesse said bluntly.  
  
"Guy, this morning you were acting so different. What was wrong?"  
  
Guy had worked up his excuse. It would be fine.  
  
"Well, when mom fell, my step dad drove her to the hospital in the morning. And in the frenzy, didn't wake me up to tell me." Guy shrugged. "I was worried. That's all."  
  
"How did you get that?" Connie brushed the bump on his eyebrow with her hands. Guy shivered slightly, and Jesse bit his lip.  
  
"Fell..." Guy muttered, pretending to be embarrassed. "I ran outside, and I fell. But I didn't need stitches."  
  
"I see." Jesse said. "You were worried about your mom."  
  
"Yeah-" Guy started, but out of nowhere, a sob choked up Guy's voice.  
  
'Shit! Don't cry you MORON.' He thought to himself. 'WIMPS cry...'  
  
But as he tried to convince himself not to, the tears started pouring down his face. Jesse and Connie stared in bewilderment. They didn't know what to do. They were nine year old kids.  
  
And suddenly they felt a lot older than nine. Like they were dealing with things they weren't ready to deal with yet.  
  
"Guy?" Jesse asked, his voice quiet. He touched his friend's shoulder. "Guy?"  
  
"Are you okay?" Connie asked, her lip trembling, and she brushed away the tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid question."  
  
"They're getting a divorce." Guy lied. "Mom and my step-dad."  
  
Jesse and Connie sat beside him as he cried, Connie rubbing his back, and Jesse ready with a box of Kleenex. Both thinking that what he said was the truth.  
  
'God, I wish it was.' Guy thought. 'I wish it so bad.'  
  
Max had punched his mother's face, that morning while Guy was asleep. After Max had smacked Guy. His mom had been defending him, had been angry. She had needed stitches. Max had driven her there, dropped her off, and they hadn't seen him since.  
  
'Please God, say he wont come back...' Guy pleaded. 'Please say he wont.'  
  
And from the outside of his room, Laurine Germaine listened. That was when she decided to file in for a divorce, so she would no longer be married to Maxwell Ryanson. After years of his abuse, he had attacked her son, and then made him cry. She would now erase him- anything for Guy.  
  
END PART 2 


	4. I'm This Bitch

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 3: I'm This Bitch  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Next part. I'm having fun writing this.)  
  
"OmiGOD. YOU SUCK!!!"  
  
"Glad he has faith in us." Terry said, as they all tried to do a scrimmage. Averman grinned, and looked at the coach.  
  
"Thanks! It's hard work!"  
  
Connie burst out laughing, as they fell down into one huge dog pile, her being the only one standing. Guy looked up at her from the pile, grabbed her ankle, and pulled her down into the mess.  
  
The Coach- A handsome man by the name of Dan Lewis- skated over to them. He glared. "Stand up, all of you."  
  
Jesse, Guy, Charlie, Connie and Averman were the only ones who stood up easily, Jesse being the first. The others wobbled pathetically as they attempted to get on their feet. Dan Lewis was young-about 25-and he had volunteered to coach this time for one reason only.  
  
He needed community service hours to get a job as a gym teacher. He didn't count on the team he chose to coach, to completely suck He then noticed Connie, and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Why is there a girl on the team?"  
  
Immediately, the boys jumped to her offense.  
  
"Why NOT?" Peter snapped.  
  
"Yeah." Goldburg said. "She's kick ass!"  
  
"Connie is better than most of us, so you watch your mouth before I slam the puck down your throat." Guy glared.  
  
"Before we ALL do." Jesse agreed.   
  
Connie stared at the coach, and skated up to him. "I'm part of the team. Do you have a problem with that?"  
  
Dan Lewis sighed. He WOULD get stuck with a tomboy. And a bunch of best friends to jump to her defense. The other teams would try and murder her. She was a girl, no matter how much she tried to act less like one. And she certainly looked like one, as pretty as nine-year olds went.  
  
"Settle down, it wasn't a personal attack." Dan said, rolling his eyes. He glared at all of them once again. "None of you have any obedience. You all said at the beginning of practice that you've been playing since you were in first grade."  
  
"We have." Karp said.  
  
"Then why don't you know how to do anything?" Dan insisted. He pointed at Charlie, Connie, Guy, Jesse and Averman. "THEY'RE the only ones who can skate!! And they're not even any GOOD." He crossed his arms. "You need some serious training."  
  
"No shit." Guy said bluntly, and they all burst out laughing. Dan Lewis did not like being made a fool of. He hated it. And he certainly hated it when it was done by a nine year old creep with a green Jamaican hat on, instead of a helmet..  
  
"Anymore attitude like that, and you're off the team." Dan scolded. Averman was slightly behind the coach, pretending to be him with exaggerated and unattractive gestures. Peter started pretending to snore, and Goldburg sat right down on the ice and began tying his skates up.  
  
"So Connie, how are you?" Jesse asked the girl, turning his back to the coach.  
  
"Oh great! You?"  
  
"FanTAStic!"  
  
Karp say down next to Goldburg, and the two started a game of rock paper scissors, while Averman started skating elaborant circles around the team. Charlie and Terry soon followed, and they started doing an awful hockey-like interpretation of Swan Lake  
  
Guy grinned. Most loyal friends you could hope for, these guys. Guy smiled at the coach. "Oh sorry about that." And thus, he entered the Swan Lake groupies as the romantic lead, Averman being his opposite.  
  
Dan Lewis stared as he watched two fat boys sitting on the ice playing rock paper scissors, a short kid pretending to be asleep, and now Jesse and Connie had joined the production of Swan Lake, which Peter, Goldburg and Karp were now applauding to. How did he get caught up in this hell?! What was he going to do? These kids were monsters...  
  
"All of you STOP IT!" He yelled. "Listen to me!"  
  
But they didn't. They'd all started to skate around now. With their eyes closed.  
  
"Hey!" Connie suddenly smacked Peter, who had banged into her. "Watch your HANDS."  
  
"Sorry sweetcheeks." Peter grinned, then tried to hightail it away from her.   
  
"Who's hitting on Connie!?" Guy demanded.  
  
"No one!" Peter squeaked, getting as far away as possible from Guy's voice.  
  
During all this, Dan kept shouting obscenities. "Hey! What're you-LISTEN TO ME! Come back you-DAMNIT!"  
  
It was no use. Dan Lewis was officially labeled as a jackass. And these kids did NOT listen to jackasses. The 'practice' went on like this for some time. And when it finally ended, Dan had cried for the first time in fifteen years.  
  
"Why did I agree to do this?" He sobbed. "Being a gym teacher isn't this IMPORTANT."  
  
"Hey coach."  
  
Dan looked up, and Averman was standing their looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "What do you want, four eyes?" Dan snapped.  
  
Averman grinned. "Nice practice. We all had fun. We expect to have even more fun at our NEXT practice."  
  
Dan started banging his head against the wall as Averman walked off.  
  
"Boy, our coach is a real winner." Goldburg groaned.  
  
"We would have been better off with your mom, Charlie." Peter said. "And that's saying a lot."  
  
"Oh shut up." Charlie snapped, in a bad mood.   
  
"I was gonna stay and play a bit." Connie said. "Anyone else?"  
  
"I will." Guy said.  
  
Everyone raised their eyebrow at each other as Guy and Connie smiled. Jesse sighed, and bit his lip again (a habit of his that he was finding hard to break). He really wanted to stay. With Connie. And Hell, with Guy. Guy had been acting better lately. His step-dad hadn't made an appearance at his household for two weeks. And Jesse guessed that Guy had been feeling better because he'd had his mind off of it.  
  
So Jesse shouldn't be mad at him just because Connie only wanted to be Jesse's friend. It's not like Jesse told her that he liked her, but everyone knew how Connie felt about Guy.   
  
"You guys have fun." Jesse choked out, but sounding as good as he possibly could. "I'm tired."  
  
The remaining district 5 team members all packed up to leave, as Dan Lewis stomped over to his Ford Jeep, and drove off as fast as he possibly could down the road.  
  
Guy and Connie watched wordlessly, and then turned to face each other.  
  
"Want to just skate around?" Connie asked timidly, looking down at her skates. She was holding her stick in her hands, and was avoiding his eyes with all the strength she could muster.  
  
"Yeah." Guy smiled, and skated towards her. He took her stick, then his own and placed them on the bench beside the pond. He skated back towards her slowly, and noticed she was shivering a little. "You cold or something?" He asked.  
  
"No..." She muttered. Then she looked at him. In their skates, he was still shorter than her. But then again, he had grown a few inches over the past two weeks. Not bad for a nine-year old who hadn't hit puberty.  
  
And thus, the two just smiled shyly at each other, and started skating around the pond.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm home!" Guy called, as he closed the front door behind him. He checked his watch- 10:37pm. Uh oh.  
  
On cue, his mother stormed to the front of the house, glaring at her short son with defiant hands on her hips.  
  
"Why didn't I HEAR from you?"  
  
"Practice went on late, and then me and Connie skated a while afterwards." Guy replied, trying to sound as casual as he possibly could. Since Max had left, his mother had transformed slightly. She had always been a vibrant woman, but now she took it to the extreme. She demanded to know where he was every second. And no matter what, parents didn't usually get a chance to know when it came to Guy's crowd. Those kids lied. A lot.  
  
"Why didn't you call me?!" His mother demanded.  
  
"I did. Twice." Guy lied. "But the line was busy both times." 'Please say you were on the phone at least twice. PLEASE.'  
  
"I was on the phone once this evening." His mother said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well." Guy thought quickly. "When I called you both times, you must have been in the same phone call. I DID call you."  
  
Laurine Germaine rubbed her temples. She had a headache. And as much as she loved Guy, he was becoming difficult. Soon, he would be admitting to lying, yes. But he wouldn't care. It was that group he hung out with. It must have been.  
  
"Does Connie lie to her parents?" Laurine asked, glaring at Guy. Guy swore in frustration, and pushed past his mother. "DON'T you use words like that, Guy Germaine!"  
  
"YOU do." Guy snapped, as he stormed to his room. "And you're always comparing me to my friends. And you ASSUME I lie."  
  
"Well, then tell me Guy." His mother said, her lips in a thin line. "Did you lie to me about the phone calls?"  
  
Guy stared at his mother. 'Yes.' He thought bluntly. But he wouldn't give her that satisfaction. He couldn't. But for a few seconds, Guy wished he would. He thought things would improve now that Max had left. But his mother had gotten more strict, and she couldn't file for the divorce if Max wasn't around. No one knew where he was. Her moods were consistently bad-not good.  
  
"No, I didn't." Guy finally told her.  
  
Laurine folded her arms and glared at him again. "Oh really?"  
  
"YES, really." Guy rolled his eyes. "Are you stupid or something? I told you-"  
  
But he shut up when he saw his mother's face. It was all screwed up and pinched. Like she was about to cry or scream. And he didn't want to see either occur. It would make him feel like he'd done to her what Max did. And no matter how much him and his mother argued-he didn't want to hurt her like Max had.  
  
But he couldn't exactly be an angel to her when she had changed so much during two weeks, could he? She was almost unbearable.   
  
"You will go to your room." His mother said, her voice low. "And you will reflect on what you've said to me this evening. Now go to bed."  
  
Laurine turned on her heel, and marched off to her room, and slammed the door.  
  
Guy kicked the wall, and stormed into his own room. But he didn't go to bed. He opened the window, and pulled himself out. He didn't know where he would go, but he knew he had to get out of the house. Just for awhile.  
  
Guy walked to the pond, and sat on the bunch. He suddenly got this feeling that made him want to cry, and shout and scream.  
  
He was the only nine-year old he knew of, that didn't have anyone in his family who gave a shit about him. And the only nine-year old he knew, who swore like a sailor. Even his fellow hockey team didn't swear as much as he did. Weren't as bitter as he could be. But luckily they didn't pick up on it. The only times when Guy wasn't feeling like a waste of space, is when he was with his friends and playing hockey. So whenever he was with them, he was in a fantastic mood.  
  
"Congratulations, Guy Germaine." Guy muttered to himself. "You really made mom's life a fricken party. Now that Max is gone, you just went and made her life shit. Congratu-fucking-lations."  
  
And that night he slept on the bench, not caring about the cold and not caring whether or not he woke up.  
  
END OF PART 3  
  
(Oooooh, saaaad. Don't worry, things will perk up. But Laurine and Guy are going through a very tough period right now. And a chapter about Jesse is coming up soon.) 


	5. Slap The Face

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 4: Slap The Face  
  
By Funkiechick  
  
(I started writing this at 11:17pm. I always stay up late, but I was tired because I'd done two shows of my play that day. So If this isn't good, I'll re-write it.)  
  
"1812!"  
  
"No, Peter. The capital of Prince Edward Island is NOT 1812. But Good try."  
  
"Aw damn."  
  
Guy was sitting impatiently at his desk, his chin resting on his folded arms. Mr. Wyerchuck was a good guy, and Guy supposed he was probably a great teacher. But who cares? You forgot what subject he was teaching half the time anyway.  
  
"Alright." Mr. Wyerchuck eyed Guy, and them smiled. 'Shit.' Guy thought. 'I've been nominated.' "Guy!" Mr. Wyerchuck exclaimed. "Do YOU know the capital of Prince Edward Island?"  
  
"Charlottetown." Guy answered monotonly. Jesse raised an eyebrow at him, and as Mr. Wyerchuck chirruped his satisfaction, and went on to another victim, Jesse set a note flying to Guy's desk.  
  
'Since when did you know the capital of P.E.I.?'  
  
Guy scribbled back his response.  
  
'Since I wanted Mr. Wyerchuck to leave me alone for a period.'  
  
He sent the note hurling back at Jesse, and went back to slacking. He wanted to make it evident that he didn't want to talk to anybody. Not even his best friend. But then he noticed something odd that he had never noticed before.  
  
Connie sat in front of him, and next to her was Jesse. Guy observed that Jesse was subconsciously (at least, it seemed subconscious) was staring at Connie. With a look on his face that Guy found familiar.  
  
It was the look Guy knew was on his own face when he stared at Connie.  
  
But as soon as Guy noticed it, Jesse seemed to immediately go back to doodling on a piece of paper. Had he been imagining it? He must have. Jesse wasn't the type of guy to ogle a girl like that. Like the way Guy did. Guy supposed if he was a girl, he would see Jesse as a guy who was kind of tough, and took interest in only some girls. Ones that he really liked.  
  
Then Guy cursed at himself once he realized he had just put himself in a girl's shoes. He was in desperate need of some sleep.  
  
"You look like hell."  
  
Guy looked to his right to see Averman shaking his head at him. "So?" Guy replied.  
  
"Did you get any sleep last night?"  
  
"Nah."  
  
"What, didn't you and Connie go home?" Averman asked slyly. Guy picked up his metal pencil sharpener, and hurled it at Averman's head. Averman dodged it, picked it up off of the ground, and chucked it back at Guy who caught it easily in his right palm. "Not a bad save. Maybe YOU should be our goalie."  
  
"No way." Guy yawned, and put his head on his folded arms. "Goldburg's our man."  
  
"I'll tell him you think so." Averman joked.  
  
Guy went back to semi-snoozing, and thus Averman chuckled slightly and left him alone. Guy found himself gazing at the back of Connie's head. 'She has really long hair.' Guy thought suddenly. 'It's kinda shiny.'  
  
Before he knew what he was doing, he reached forward, and brushed his hand gently through the strands of her hair. Connie looked back at him with a quizzical expression on her face.  
  
"Your hair's soft." Guy murmured sleepily.  
  
He'd never seen her turn so red before. Not even the time when they'd all been walking around that previous summer and Peter had pointed out that she had-exact quote 'had really curvy legs.'  
  
"OH." She said somewhat breathlessly, and turned back to look at the front of the room. Guy heard Averman and Terry chuckling, and he hoped to God that only they had seen it. He continued running his hands slightly through her hair, and Connie didn't say anything about it, nor object. But Guy noticed an odd expression on Jesse's face again.  
  
This time his face had an expression of utter subject change. Like the last thing he wanted to think about was the fact Guy was running his hands through Connie's hair, and that she didn't mind.  
  
But after Guy saw Jesse's face, he stopped. Even though he wanted to keep feeling the silky strands through his fingers, he still couldn't. And he felt stupid because he didn't know why.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rollerblading was out.   
  
They'd been able to do it earlier in the year because snow had been late, so the pond had to be frozen specially. But finally a snow had started during school hours, and thus the District 5 teamies carried their rollerblades in their backpacks as they trudged home.  
  
"We have practice with Coach Pretty Boy tonight." Peter said.  
  
"My Mom thinks he'll be a good influence on us." Charlie said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Well, he is cute." Connie said. All the boy stopped walking and just stared at her. "What!? I'm a woman too!"  
  
"You're not a woman, you're a GIRL." Guy said, and then immediately covered his mouth with his hands.   
  
"WHAT?!" Connie exclaimed.  
  
"THAT was stupid." Goldburg said bluntly as Connie stomped towards Guy.  
  
"What is THAT supposed to mean?"  
  
"NOTHING, Connie."  
  
"I'm a little priss, is that it!?"  
  
"No no no, you're perfect! You're a woman!?"  
  
"I'm not speaking to you anymore, JERK."  
  
Connie thus turned on her heel, and stomped ahead of the boys. Guy immediately tore after her.  
  
"Connie, wait! That's not what I meant!"  
  
"They're idiots, the both of them." Averman said.  
  
"I hope I never act that dumb around a girl." Karp said.  
  
"You act dumb all the time, Karp." Terry joked, and they all laughed. Minus Jesse, who seemed somewhat out of it.  
  
"Hey Jess, where are you?" Charlie asked him.  
  
"Huh?" Jesse looked up. "Oh, I'm tired. That's all."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Guy had to be home as soon as the group reached his house. Connie still hadn't forgiven him, but he couldn't do much about it. When his mother had found him that morning, she had literally dragged him home and screamed a lecture.  
  
"I was so WORRIED about you! How could you DO this to me?"  
  
And that sort of thing. Guy had tuned most of it out. SURE she was worried about him. Of course she was. Whatever the hell her definition of worry was. Guy's relationship with his mother had almost diminished. And it was all Max's fault, and his mother's. He blamed it solely on her.   
  
It made him feel less like an asshole.  
  
And now that he'd seen that Jesse may just have a crush on Connie, he still felt like an asshole. But either way, he was ordered by his mother to come home immediately after school, and she would drive him to the pond for hockey.  
  
Guy didn't plan on letting her do this.   
  
"I'm HOME." Guy called, slamming the door as loud as he possibly could. Here it came-  
  
"Don't you slam that door Guy Germaine!"  
  
There you go.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Connie unlocked her front door with her house key, and then turned to face Jesse, Terry and Averman, who's houses were the last on the walking home route.  
  
"See you at practice tonight, guys." Connie smiled at them. "I'm going to win that bet, Terry."  
  
"Hah." Terry rolled his eyes. "You just WISH."  
  
"What bet?" Averman asked.  
  
"That Connie can hit the puck harder than him." Jesse answered, somewhat monotonely.   
  
"I'll win." Connie said bluntly.  
  
"Will not." Terry said.  
  
"Will too."  
  
"When are you going to stop being mad at Guy?" Jesse suddenly asked.   
  
Connie looked surprised as she pushed her door open. "I'm home!" She called inside, before turning to look at him. "Tonight or tomorrow I guess. Why?"  
  
"No reason. See ya Cons."   
  
"Yeah, bye Connie." Averman said, and the three boys turned and walked off. She waved, and then went inside.   
  
"I'm home, mom!" Connie called. She walked inside, and pulled the key out of the lock before shutting the door behind her. She put the key on the key holder. "Mom? Dad?"  
  
"They're not home, they're spending the day out together."  
  
Connie turned to see her fifteen year old brother Sean standing against the wall. "Hi Sean." She said, walking past him.  
  
"Have a nice day?" He asked, following her for a moment.  
  
"Not bad." She said. Sean followed  
  
"Do you have hockey tonight."  
  
"Yeah." She paused when she reached her room, and turned to face him. "Why?"  
  
"No reason." Sean shrugged. "I was gonna come and watch you."  
  
"Okay." Connie opened the door to her room.  
  
"Watch you suck, that is."  
  
"Oh shut up!" Connie slammed the door in his face, and Sean chuckled. He loved little sisters.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You had a bad day." Terry said, as he and Jesse hung out in their room. Jesse looked up from a sport magazine he was flipping through, but not reading due to his bad mood.  
  
"Yeah. What's your point?"  
  
"I just noticed." Terry shrugged. "I can tell when you're mad. So what happened?"  
  
"Nothing." Jesse snapped. Jesse wasn't about to tell his fraternal twin that he had a crush on Connie. Especially when none of the guys on the team thought of her that way, except for Guy. "Just forget about it."  
  
Terry was silent for a moment, watching his brother, and then he finally spoke. "Do you want me to make you a cheeseburger?"  
  
"God, yes."  
  
"Thought that would cheer you up a little." Terry grinned, and he left their room.  
  
Jesse grinned as Terry left. He had been exactly five minutes and twenty three seconds older than his brother, and even though he looked out for Terry, Terry always wanted to make Jesse feel better when Jesse was down. It was just Terry's way.  
  
And he was really thankful for that right now. Just what he needed. Jesse went back to his magazine, and this time actually read it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He couldn't believe she was sitting in his room and talking to him about his 'bad behavior'. Guy could not believe his mother was lecturing him on how he had been 'acting up' and not listening to her. That sort of crap.  
  
They'd just gotten a jerk who made their lives hell out of their house. Out of their lives. She expected him to be an angel? Besides, hadn't she noticed that the way he was acting now was the same way he'd been acting when she was married to Max?  
  
Of course she hadn't noticed. She was scared of things then. He didn't blame her.  
  
But he wanted her to leave him alone. At least, he wanted his old mom back. Not this one who told him that if they were going to make it on their own, he had better shape up and blah blah.   
  
'I love you, mom.' Guy thought. 'But I guess that's not god damn good enough.'  
  
"I can't even BELIEVE you would do something so dangerous as sneaking out of the house! Now I know you didn't do it from your room window, it's been shut for years, but-"  
  
'You're not too smart all the time, mom.' Guy thought.  
  
"You-LISTEN TO ME, GUY!"  
  
"I AM!!!"  
  
His mother's eyes flared. "Your nine years old and look at you! Sneaking out of the house, swearing-"  
  
"Shut up shut up shut UP!" Guy covered his ears with his hands, stood up, and started to walk to the corner of his room, away from her. But she stopped him when she stood up, and slapped him full on the face.  
  
"DON'T you tell me to shut up, Guy Germaine!"  
  
Guy stared at her, his cheek stinging. He brought his finger tips up to his face, and it hurt when he touched it. He looked up at his mother and her expression changed to one of immediate guilt and regret. "Oh Guy, I'm sorry! I didn't-"  
  
"Go away." Guy turned his back to his mother, and sat on his bed, staring at the wall and holding his cheek in his hand.  
  
"Guy, listen to me! I don't know-"  
  
"Go away." Guy said again.  
  
She was silent, and soon he heard her leave his room, and close the door behind her. He looked at the door, and sniffed. He felt tears brimming his eyes.  
  
He stood up, and pulled a sweatshirt off the floor, and put it on. He grabbed his ice skates that were sprawled on a chair, and his hockey stick. Then with his right hand holding his equipment, he used his left hand to put on his hat.  
  
He opened the window, climbed out, and closed it quietly, walking away from the house. He didn't look back as he walked to the pond.  
  
Guy had never felt so betrayed in his life.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charlie saw Guy's figure walking slowly towards him just as Charlie left his house. He waved. "Hey Guy! We'll walk together!"  
  
Guy didn't wave back, but Charlie waited. And waited. As the slow paced hockey player trudged toward him, Charlie raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Still tired?" He asked, as they walked toward the pond together.  
  
"Yeah." Guy replied. "Of everything."  
  
END OF PART 4  
  
(Things will be cheering up soon, don't worry. Starting next chapter, it's been a year. So it'll be a few months set before the the first movie. Things will start looking up a bit. See ya! ^_~) 


	6. Coming Home

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 5: Coming Home  
  
(I hate the title of this chapter. Maybe I'll change it. If I do, you wont know what it was before I changed it because I changed it. Enjoy)  
  
"Good morning, Guy."  
  
Guy turned his head slightly to look at his mother while he pulled on his boots. "Hey." He muttered.  
  
"Happy birthday."  
  
He watched her, and stood up. He grabbed his jacket, and pulled it on-all in jerky and uncomfortable movements. "Thanks."  
  
"I'll have your birthday present tonight. Are you having a party?"  
  
Guy shook his head.   
  
"Oh." Laurine Germaine lowered her head, her now ten-year old son opening the front door to leave for hockey practice. It had been a year since the night they had that fight. A year since she had slapped him. And a year since that week where he hadn't talked to her-ignored her. "Well, your friends are welcome any time."  
  
"I know." Guy answered. He was slinging his hockey skates over his shoulder, and gripping his hockey stick tightly. "Bye mom."  
  
"Goodbye Guy."  
  
And he shut the door forcefully, and did not look back as he walked off to the skating pond. Laurine sighed, and watched her son walk.  
  
It had been a rough year for her. Max was still missing. So that meant she was still married to him legally. She couldn't divorce him if he wasn't around to divorce. What if he came out of nowhere soon? Or didn't come back until Guy had graduated?  
  
What if he never came back?  
  
Laurine couldn't admit it, but she missed Max. She missed when he used to treat her well, used to hug her and kiss her. But after Max met Guy, he'd changed. He'd told her he wasn't used to kids, but once he heard she had a young son, he'd been excited. Ready to have Guy follow in his footsteps.  
  
But Guy hadn't.  
  
Even when Guy was three years old, he made it quite clear to Max that he wanted nothing to do with him. That he didn't want to play football, get good grades and work with power saws. Guy liked hockey, watching musicals and skipping school. He swore like a sailor and he'd started smoking-at NINE. He was ten now, meaning he'd been smoking for nearly a year.  
  
'Dear God.' Laurine thought, sinking to the floor. 'I want the old Guy back. I want the old Max back. I don't want to be a bitch anymore...'  
  
But she didn't have much of a choice. Back when she was with Jake-Guy's father-she never had to worry. And then she'd been pregnant with Guy. Jake had wanted to be connected with Guy, had wanted to marry Laurine.  
  
But Jake was never the type of man that Laurine wanted to marry. He was outgoing and artsy, athletic and fun loving. Laurine questioned his capabilities to BE a proper husband.  
  
So she'd left Jake, without a word, and then she'd had Guy and married Max. Max had seemed to be a perfect husband. He wore proper clothes and his job wasn't teaching rock climbing down at a university, like Jake's was.   
  
Max had turned out to be a bastard. And Jake-for all Laurine knew- was probably still perfect, fun loving Jake.  
  
'I hate this.' Laurine thought, and she stood up to sulk in her room. Like she always did. And pretend that none of this was happening.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gordan Bombay winced as he stepped out of his stupid god forsaken stretch limo, and watched the group of penniless kids skate up to him. All looking skeptical and pissed off.  
  
As he spoke with them, he inspected the group. Two young black boys, one more angry looking than the other. And one homely red headed kid with glasses. Two fat guys, and a little guy about the size of a peanut, and a tall guy with a green hat and a big smile as the small guy told a joke about their previous coach's heart attack.  
  
He was in hell.  
  
After the curly haired red head told him that 'they really suck', he watched in interest as they obliged the comment.   
  
"They REALLY suck." Bombay said, and then noticed someone push over the red head, and skate over towards him. That someone was a girl. A GIRL. The only one.  
  
"Hi coach." She skidded to a stop, and smiled brilliantly at him. 'A pretty girl.' Bombay thought. "I'm Connie. Do you play?"  
  
She was a special one, this Connie.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Guy glanced at Connie talking to the 'coach'. How could she be so friendly? How could she be so optimistic?  
  
"Why does she even bother?" Peter asked, wobbling up to Guy. Guy sighed.  
  
"Connie's a very positive person. She'll try to look on the bright side of having a bitch-ass for a coach."  
  
"I suppose." Peter wrinkled his nose. "I guess it's a girl thing." Peter picked up his stick, and slung it over his shoulder. "Look. Coachy baby is going back in the limo."  
  
"No one ignores Connie and gets away with it." Guy glared. "Not when she's pushing herself to be friendly."  
  
"I say we attack." Peter grinned at Guy. Guy sighed exageratingly in a happy way.  
  
"It's amazing how you read my mind, Peter."  
  
"Yeah, I know. I've got a knack for it."  
  
They skated toward the limo, and looked over at Karp and Goldburg. "What's up?" Goldburg asked.  
  
"Jumping on top of a limo is up." Guy said, and he shot towards the car, and leaped towards the window.  
  
"Guy!" Charlie exclaimed. "What the hell are you DOING?"  
  
"Having fun!?" Guy said, and he jumped to the roof of the car. Jesse laughed, and joined him, and soon all the district 5 kids were attacking at the car.  
  
"Hey, look!" Terry exclaimed. "The DOORS are unlocked!!"  
  
Soon they all crowded into the limo, Bombay screaming at them, and the driver attacking at Peter.  
  
"We want a ride!" Connie started to chant. Guy grinned at her, and joined in.  
  
The rest, as you know, is history.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Do you like him?" Connie asked, as she and Connie walked home that night. The other kids had gotten rides from their parents. And even though Connie lived in a loving family, both her mother and father worked hard, and weren't home often. But they promised to be there for her games. As for her brother, he was out with his girlfriend for the night.  
  
Guy told her he didn't have a ride, and Connie ignored the fact that he never DID.  
  
"He's a pretty boy, kinda like Dan was." Guy shrugged. "At least he doesn't swear at and have heart attacks like Mr. Rhinehorn."  
  
"Thank God for that." Connie smiled. "But I can't help but think that Bombay may lighten up. He's played hockey, can't you tell?"  
  
Guy snorted. "My ass he has!"  
  
Connie whapped his shoulder lightly. "Listen to me! He's grown up on the ice, remember? He told Charlie's mom."  
  
"He was probably saying that to get her to shut up. EVERYONE says anything to get Charlie's mom to shut up."  
  
"Guy!" Connie exclaimed, and she ceased walking and stood in front of him. "Listen."  
  
Guy raised an eyebrow slightly, and looked down at his shoes. He looked back up at her. "Sorry. I'm listening."  
  
"I think..." Connie looked up, and then back at him. "I think we should just sit back and wait. Bombay may have something to say. He may help us. I just have a feeling." Connie wrapped her arms around herself, and shivered slightly. "I dunno. I just can't see us getting another coach. That must mean something, right?"  
  
Guy kept looking at her. He hadn't been thinking about hockey much lately. And he hadn't been thinking of Connie much lately either. He'd just been thinking about his mother's crazy mood changes. How she slapped his face some nights, and hugged and cooed him others. He'd been thinking about how he would live with mom, and how maybe mom would get better.  
  
He'd forgotten about the things that made him feel happy. Made things better. He'd forgotten about Hockey. About Jesse and the guys. About Connie.  
  
"Cons..." Guy mumbled suddenly, and he took her hands. She looked at him, puzzled. They hadn't been affectionate lately. He'd been distant. And Connie, being nine and a half now, wasn't all heartbroken and sad. But she'd missed him. She'd missed this.  
  
"Guy, what-?" But he interrupted her as he leaned toward her, and pressed his right cheek against her left one.   
  
"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I didn't mean to ignore all of you. I've been an ass."  
  
"It's okay." Connie stuttered, feeling odd, a little overwhelmed. She was amazed by the thought of how she didn't want him to move, how she could picture them still doing this when they were older.  
  
He pulled his face away, and gazed in her eyes. "Come on...our parents probably want us home."  
  
They trudged on, holding hands this time, and Connie bit her lip. Wanting to say something, anything. Not wanting to, but feeling the need to.  
  
"You smell a little like smoke." She burst out, and then sighed inwardly. What a dumb, moment breaking thing to say.  
  
But Guy didn't seem offended. "I know." He muttered. "I'm gonna quit. I haven't had any smokes since yesterday. I need to wash my clothes."  
  
"I'm glad." Connie told him, feeling more at ease now. "Now Peter will shut up about it being cool."  
  
Guy laughed. "Peter's not like that."  
  
"Oh yes he is. He wont admit it, but he loves attention from you. Good or bad."  
  
They stopped when they saw Guy's mother standing a few steps away from them, outside of Guy's house. Her face was one of worry, mixed with confusion.  
  
"Hello, Ms. Germaine." Connie said timidly. She then realized she and Guy were still holding hands, and pulled away, embarrassed. She expected Guy to look the same, but saw his expression was not the same as hers. He looked more scared, and irritated at the same time.  
  
Like he didn't want his mother to be there.  
  
"I'll drive you the rest of the way, Connie dear." Laurine Germaine said, walking towards them. "Don't want you walking the rest of the way by yourself, what with you being a young girl."  
  
"Alright." Connie whispered, angry at herself for acting like a girly girl. But around Guy's mother, she couldn't help it. The woman made her feel as if she almost wasn't supposed to be around Guy.  
  
"I'm coming." Guy said coldly. Ms. Germaine glanced sharply at Guy.  
  
"You're going to bed."  
  
Connie watched the tension, and stepped away slightly from the two. They must have had a fight. A simple, harmless fight this morning. One that wouldn't amount to anything.  
  
"Uhm..." Connie muttered. "I can walk back."  
  
"No!" Ms. Germaine burst out. "Not by your-"  
  
"She's FINE." Guy glared at his mother. "Bye mom."  
  
Laurine turned on her heel, and stomped angrily to the front door of the house. Connie gave a sideways glance to Guy as Laurine slammed the door behind her after she went inside.  
  
"Did you two have a fight?" Connie asked.  
  
"When do we not?" Guy said absently, sounding far off. Connie was astonished. Guy and his mom didn't get along? Why didn't he ever tell her? Why didn't she notice it?  
  
Because Guy never mentioned his mother, and no one ever saw her. That's why.  
  
"I'm sorry." Connie said softly, not sure of what else to say.   
  
Guy turned his head rapidly to face her. He let her notice. 'I can't.' Guy thought. 'Damnit. She can't know.'  
  
"It was only a little argument this morning." Guy suddenly spurted. "And she's been in a bad mood this month because of work, but that's all. We always get along, I'm exaggerating."  
  
"Oh." Connie said bluntly. She raised an eyebrow. She didn't believe it, and Guy cursed in his head.  
  
"Cons, don't worry about it, okay?" He smiled. His smile. The smile. Connie found herself feeling a little light headed, and she smiled back.   
  
For the moment, Guy forgot about his mother and everything as she was smiling. He bit his lip, glanced over his shoulder, and then turned back to face her, and gave her a very small, firm peck on the lips. But the kiss was over quickly, and Guy pulled away as fast as possible.  
  
"BYE." He squeaked, voice cracking, and he turned on his heel and raced into his house. Connie watched him go, a distant smile on her face, and a blush on her cheeks. She smiled more brightly, and sort of skipped the rest of the way home. Thinking of his deep hazel eyes, and his big smile.  
  
She'd forgotten, for now, about Guy and his mother.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Stupid Guy." Jesse muttered, in his backyard, shooting a puck at the goalies 'net' (which was a garbage can). "Ignoring me." Shoot. Slam. "For so long." Shoot. Slam. "Like I don't know something's up." Shoot. Slam. "Making Connie upset." Shoot. Slam.  
  
He stopped shooting, and looked over his shoulder at his brother from the window of the house. Terry was reading. Not playing. Almost like he wasn't interested. As if Jesse's life wasn't dumb enough as it was. Now he had a brother who would rather read than play hockey.  
  
"Nice shooting."  
  
Jesse then turned his gaze to the other side of the yard, to see Fulton Reed leaning against the beat up fence.  
  
"Hey." Jesse said.  
  
"Hi." He walked toward him. "Having fun?"  
  
"Somewhat."  
  
Fulton shoved his hands in his pockets. "Where's that guy with the big smile? You know, the one you usually play with."  
  
"Guy?" Jesse asked. "Dumb jerk is at home."  
  
"You two have a fight?"  
  
"Nah." Jesse shot another puck, and it went into the garbage pail.  
  
"Nice."  
  
"Thanks. Anyway." Jesse shrugged. "I dunno, Guy has been acting different lately." Shoot. Slam. "It's pissing me off."  
  
"People need time off of other people, sometimes." Fulton replied. "I mean, maybe he has stuff to think about."  
  
"If he wasn't hurting Connie, maybe I'd let him." Jesse shook his head. "No, I'm worried about him too, I guess." Shoot slam. He turned to look at Fulton. "Wanna play?"  
  
Fulton stepped backwards, and turned to leave. "I can't."  
  
And then he left, and Jesse (for some reason) felt a little bit better.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charlie waited silently at Guy's door after knocking the door twice. He'd planned on the two heading over to Jesse's for a bit. Maybe the two could practice shooting. But more than anything Charlie was trying to get Guy back in the game. He'd been out of it lately, everyone had noticed. And he didn't even do the dog crap in the bag trick with him and the guys earlier on in the year. It was like Guy was going into hibernation.  
  
But moments later, Guy appeared at the door, holding an ice pack to his cheek.  
  
"Woah, what happened?" Charlie asked.  
  
"Didn't you see me fall at practice?" Guy asked. Charlie noticed his voice sounded jerky. Was he lying? No. Why would he? Why else would he have a bruised up cheek.  
  
"No."   
  
"Humph." Guy grinned. "Some friend you are."   
  
Charlie grinned back. "I'm heading over to Jesse's. Wanna come?"  
  
"Yeah." Guy nodded. He tossed the icepack over his shoulder. "BYE MOM!" Guy called, and quickly grabbed his skates from the closet, and slammed the door, cutting of his mother's 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!'  
  
Guy picked up his stick from the side of the house, and they started walking.  
  
"You've been missing lately." Charlie said.  
  
"Yeah." Guy nodded. "I've been sick. And tired and stuff. But now I'm back."  
  
"It's about time."  
  
"Why Charlie." Guy batted his eyelashes girlishly. "Why didn't you TELL me you missed me so much?"  
  
"Oh shut up," Charlie snapped. "Oh yeah and..." He looked away and bit his lip. Even if Charlie was a sensitive person, he was still a guy. "Jesse misses you."  
  
Guy was silent, and they walked on. Finally, he spoke up while adjusting his hat. "Well, I miss Jesse."  
  
Charlie smiled. "Good."  
  
END OF PART FIVE  
  
(Another ending of Charlie and Guy. Guy and Jesse are still best friends though. Things will be moving rapidly from now on.) 


	7. Hold My Hand And I'll Be Alright

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 6: Hold My Hand And It'll Be Alright  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Heeey, it's been awhile. I'm in a major Harry Potter mood right now, so I haven't really been paying attention to Mighty Ducks. But here it is now, so enJOOOOY. Title of this chapter named after a Beatles song. THE BEATLES RULE!!)  
  
Guy stared in awe around the giant hockey rink. Professional hockey. It seemed a million years away. He couldn't believe how much more energy it took to cross this ice, than the ice back in peewee.  
  
Coach Bombay had become-as Averman called him- Par-TAY BomBAY. He'd turned into this fantastic coach, and this fantastic guy. And suddenly Guy found himself enjoying hockey even more.  
  
District 5 was now known as 'The Ducks'. They'd all laughed at first, minus Charlie and Fulton, and Guy could remember bringing his jersey home that night. The look on his mother's face was enough to make him smile. She'd been truly proud of him, and Guy was starting to forget about Max, and his mother hadn't hit him since the beginning of Bombay joining the team. Things were returning back to normal.  
  
The Ducks, to add more to the cake, had made the play-offs. And Guy smiled inwardly at the praise Bombay had given him secretly the night they made it. He'd told Guy that 'You may not boister around and act like a big-shot like some of the others, but you definitely have what it takes'.  
  
Guy hadn't told anybody what Bombay told him, but he'd never felt better about himself in his life. And tonight, after fooling around on official ice, they were going to watch a Stars game.  
  
"Guy! Come on!" Connie skated up to him, took hold of his gloved hand, and pulled him along. Guy couldn't help but notice the very nicely fitting jeans she was wearing, and smiled at her.  
  
"Shove over, love birds!" Goldburg roared, and he let out a long laugh as he plowed into them. All of them were laughing, Bombay and the limo-driver were clowning around. Guy couldn't remember a time when he had more fun.  
  
"I like Bombay." Jesse mumbled slightly, skating circles around Guy. Guy grinned at his best friend.  
  
"I'm glad you approve. Because if you didn't, we'd just HAVE to send in for another coach."  
  
"Damn right." Jesse nodded. "I'm Father Nature to you ducks."  
  
"You need a mother nature. Get a wife." Guy said, grinning.  
  
"I'unno. Connie?" Jesse replied absent-mindedly, and then seemed to realize who he was talking. He looked strait at Guy, who stopped skating and stared at him with a look of 'what the HELL?' on his face. "Or Tammy! Doesn't matter, how 'bout your mom?"  
  
Guy forgot about the Connie remark. "Are you taking PETER lessons?! Let go of the mom thing!!!"  
  
Jesse gave a hoot of laughter as he skated off, Guy close behind. That had been a close one. One more slip like that could pretty much spell it out for Guy. 'Yeah, Guy? I have this massive crush on the girl you adore. Hope you don't mind.'  
  
"Why are you two ditching us?!" Tammy yelled out across the ice. "Come back!"  
  
Guy and Jesse rolled their eyes. Tammy and Tommy joined the team not too long ago. Tommy had a great time on the ice-even if he wasn't too good. Tammy was, but she didn't really like it. In Peter's words 'she may be a babe, but she's a REAL witch.'  
  
They all liked her well enough, they just couldn't fathom how anyone on a hockey team couldn't like hockey.  
  
Fulton Reed, a guy Guy and the others had known since they were little, also joined not too long ago. He was great. His slap shot-which sent other teams sprawling-was definitely something to witness. His skating still needed work, but Guy was hoping he'd continue on with hockey.  
  
"Sorry your highness." Guy told Tammy, as he and Jesse skated by her back to the group of ducks.  
  
"Didn't mean to keep you waiting, dearest." Jesse said in a wistful, sarcastic and loving voice. He took her hands and pulled her to him, ignoring Tammy's 'Ah! Let me go! What are you DOING?!' "I'll make it up to you tonight..."  
  
"Oh shut UP!" Tammy snapped, blushing furiously, and she pushed him down to the ice, skating over to Coach Bombay. The others laughed loudly as Jesse stood back up, and gave an exaggerated shrug, with the statement of 'Women! ImPOSSible to please.'  
  
"The game is starting in a few hours." Bombay said to the group of kids (who quite obviously, were barely listening). "So we have to clear off. I want you all back here in exactly two hours, and don't tell your parents I sent you wandering without me."  
  
"Can I come with you?" Charlie asks, lowering his voice slightly, obviously embarrassed. Bombay grinned at him, and nodded.  
  
For some reason, the guys decided to leave him alone about it, and Charlie was grateful as he skated towards Bombay and grinned at him in a son-like way.  
  
"Are we all heading out together?" Adam asked, somewhat timidly. Banks had just joined the team, and though most were being quite friendly, some still hadn't accepted him. Adam had a hard time saying what he felt. Jesse raised an eyebrow at him, and Adam sighed. It seemed as if Jesse would never accept his being a part of the team.  
  
"Depends on where we're all going." Peter answered.  
  
"I'm hungry." Karp whined. Connie rolled her eyes.  
  
"When are you NOT?" She retorted, and Jesse chuckled along with her as Karp glared.  
  
"I promised my mother that Tommy and I would get some souvenirs for her, this being our game coming up and all." Tammy said, still trying to look as pretty as possible. She accomplished this, and everyone knew that deep inside, she could truly be quite the tomboy-especially during games. "So unless you all want to shop with Tommy and I-" ('I don't WANNA come!' Tommy whined) "-then I suggest we all split into separate groups."  
  
"Tammy, dearest. I couldn't stand another moment not being by your side." Jesse sighed dramatically. "My heart beats widely for your presence, and my nights are so cold-"  
  
"STOP IT!" Tammy blushed, and everyone burst out laughing as she shoved him hard onto the ice once again.  
  
"She likes it on top, that's why she pushed me onto my back." Jesse said bluntly, and Tammy just glared at him.  
  
Bugging Tammy was one of the ducks's favorite pastimes. This was due to her slight snobbery, and ice-cold reaction to flirtation. It made her much more appealing, and Jesse was by far the best at pissing the girl off. But unfortunately, his sub-conscious kept telling him that no matter how many times he flirted with Tammy, Connie would never be jealous. And that just made him feel worse about his feelings for Connie.  
  
"We could just drive around town on the bus." Guy shrugged. "Like old times. We all have our bus transfer tickets."  
  
"Sounds good." Averman agreed. "I'm in."  
  
"Me too." Terry added, and Jesse nodded in agreement along with Goldburg, Peter and Karp.  
  
"I'll come." Adam mumbled.   
  
Everyone glanced at him, and then Connie smiled shyly. "Sure. Everyone can."  
  
Adam smiled back at her slightly, and Guy felt himself scowl, and Averman couldn't help but notice Jesse shared it.  
  
"Well, Tommy and I will try to join in on it all later." Tammy said in a motherlike way, and Tommy sighed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'll miss you! I feel the emptiness already! Kiss kiss kiss!!!" Jesse called out to Tammy as she and Tommy walked off down mainstreet. She glared back at him, and they walked off just as the bus the rest of the ducks were waiting for pulled up.  
  
"She likes you, you know." Connie said smartly, boarding the bus and handing the bus driver her ticket. "She told me."  
  
"Naturally." Jesse said, giving over his own bus ticket. "I'm gorgeous."  
  
They all crowded into the back, ignoring a few rude comments made by two old ladies. As they all sat, Connie squeezed in close next to Guy, and smiled at him brightly.  
  
"This is a tight fit." Adam commented.  
  
"I'm not complaining." Guy said blankly, winking at Connie like he so often did. Connie winked back, and Averman rolled his eyes.  
  
"Not on the BUS please." Goldburg whined.  
  
"We don't want to watch." Averman agreed.  
  
"No shit." Jesse muttered, and Adam raised an eyebrow. He looked over at Connie and Guy.  
  
"Connie? Sorry about that time when Mickleson checked you into the boards." Adam shrugged. "But I figure you're okay, with you and Guy liking it rough and all."  
  
That comment made everyone but Connie, Guy and Jesse burst out laughing, and after a while, even Connie and Guy started in on it. Jesse just fished a pack of chips out of his backpack, and started eating them while staring out the window.  
  
"Uh, Jesse?" Adam muttered to him as the others continued laughing. "What's up?"  
  
"Nothing the fuck's up, let it go, cake-eater." Jesse snapped. Adam frowned.  
  
"Fine." He said bluntly, and turned back to talk with Terry. Jesse glared, and then glanced at Guy and Connie- Guy was holding her right hands with his own, and sort of playing with her fingers, and interlacing his fingers through hers. Flirting heavily. She was blushing, and Jesse noted she looked very very happy-and very pretty with her cheeks all flushed. A happy he couldn't make her feel.  
  
"We should play truth or dare." Goldburg said in a high pitched voice.  
  
"Oh yay! So like, Peter? Who do you like?" Averman said in a girly voice.  
  
"Duh! Guy's MOM!"  
  
"Shut UP about my mom!"  
  
"Oh that was REAL funny." Jesse said sarcastically. Terry eyed his brother.  
  
"I just realized something." Adam said.  
  
"What?"   
  
"Where's Fulton?"  
  
"....where IS Fulton?"  
  
"I think he left just as we were leaving." Connie informed. "He didn't say anything. Maybe he didn't feel like hanging out with a big group of people."  
  
"Yeah, sometimes he's like that." Jesse nodded.   
  
"Hey, Guy. Your hot mom called my house this morning." Averman said, grinning. Guy glared at him.  
  
"Shut up, asshole."  
  
"Woah, simmer. But seriously. She called to talk to my mom. She was bumming a ride. I thought you said you didn't like it when your mom came to your games?"  
  
Guy stared. His mother was coming to their championship game?! But she couldn't do that! 'It's not like we're a normal family, so why does she want to act like one?' Guy thought with annoyance. But he shrugged, hiding his thoughts.   
"I just thought she didn't like hockey. I didn't know she was coming."  
  
"Well, she is." Averman told him. "Just thought you should know."  
  
Guy raised an eyebrow at Averman, who raised one back. He then realized Averman knew something that he didn't want to tell Guy in front of everybody, and Guy nodded at him as if to confirm 'yes, we shall talk about this later'.  
  
Jesse noticed this exchange, and he was the only one. Connie and Peter were joking around, Goldburg and Karp were playing rock, paper, scissors, and Charlie and Adam were arguing about hockey equipment with his brother. Guy seemed to have changed in the last few months. Acting more mature, more forward with Connie. It had been a rapid change from his usual shyness.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Laurine Germaine stared nervously at her telephone. Today was a day she was doing many things she didn't usually do. Going to Guy's game, making friends with Averman's mother. And here she was, ready to call up Jake.  
  
She had gotten the info of where he lived. He didn't try to hide himself, and he had no idea where she was. So he had no way of contacting her to see Guy. But Jake and Guy were alike, she knew meeting a real man like Jake would be good for Guy. But he may not trust his father period.  
  
But none the less , she picked up the phone, dialed the number and waited patiently as it rang. When she heard Jake's voice 'Hello, Jake here, one sec, I'm eating a waffle!' she felt her throat tighten.   
  
"Okay, back. Hello?" He said.  
  
"...."  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"...Jake?..."  
  
"Yeeeess?"  
  
"It's...it's me."  
  
"...Laurine!?"  
  
At that moment, Laurine hung up. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't. She had to wait. Build up more courage. She couldn't face him, and she didn't want to give up Guy to someone she knew he would love more than her. She couldn't let her son go, not yet.  
  
Laurine let out a huge sigh, but it didn't hold back the tears that began pouring down her face as she realized something she had known deep inside for a long time. She was a selfish coward.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"They're coming out they're coming out they're coming OOOUUUUTTTT!!!!"  
  
"GOLDBURG, WE KNOW!!!!"  
  
Everyone burst out laughing after Guy screamed at the fat goalie after his outburst as the stars came out onto the ice. They were all seated, the game beginning, and every single one of them completely wired.  
  
"This is so awsome!" Tammy squealed girlishly. "Oh my GOSH!"  
  
Jesse snorted. "Oh my GOSH, it like, so IS!"  
  
Tammy glared at him, and refused to speak to him despite his offering of his 'corn dog'. In fact, after that, she started hitting his arm repeatedly. Jesse tried to ignore her, and sneak a glance at Connie.  
  
Guy in the meantime, was watching Connie scream in excitement when the message 'Welcome Ducks!' went across the huge screen, and he whooped outloud when he saw it, and then looked back at Connie. She was watching the game intently, and before he knew what he was doing, he took hold of her wrist, and held her hand in his own. She glanced over at their hands, and then at him. He gave her a shy, but extremely attractive smile, and she beamed at him.  
  
Jesse frowned, and looked sharply away, catching the Hawks tease Adam. Adam blushed, and hid his face, and Jesse found himself furious when he felt a little sorry for him.  
  
Coach Bombay in the meanwhile, had caught Guy and Connie's romantic moment, and rolled his eyes. He'd never even THOUGHT about girls when he was ten. Not ones his own age anyway. He had a feeling that the two of them would let their relationship complicate things somewhat.  
  
"They've been together since we were kids." Charlie broke his train of thought, as he refered to Guy and Connie. "They met in a sandbox. She stuffed sand down his overalls, and then he ruined her sandcastle."  
  
"They haven't changed much." Bombay joked, as Guy started to poke Connie in the stomach, and she started whapping his shoulder and ranting 'stop it, jerk! Don't pick on me!' but laughing just the same.   
  
Charlie laughed. "If any of US tried to poke Connie in the stomach, we'd get slugged in the same place." Charlie then thought. "Except Jesse."  
  
"So what?" Bombay asked. "Guy, Jesse and Connie are best friends?"  
  
"Sort of. We're all best friends, just some people we're more close to."  
  
Then Charlie went back to the game, and Bombay thought about his diverse team members, realizing they were all like some aspects of himself when he was their age. He looked over at Adam, and was relieved to see the former Hawk somewhat enjoying himself for once, and Jesse wasn't bothering him. In fact, he was pouring ice from his drink down Tammy's back.  
  
'The male doesn't change.' Bombay thought, and he decided he was going to attack Charlie's mother with snowballs the next time he saw her.  
  
END OF PART 6  
  
(I know this was a happy chapter. And it will be the first one for awhile, then we're getting seriouser. Seriouser isn't a word...oh well. Next chapter is seriouser.) 


	8. Ending With My Winnings

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 7: Ending With My Winnings  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Hey. Part 7 already. I am SO good. I was listening to My Generation by The Who while I was writing this, so I was in a pretty sixties-seventees mood. Even though My Generation is a fairly new song. Oh well. Enjoy.)  
  
"I think Guy should take it!"  
  
'Ofcourse you do.' Jesse thought silently as Connie volunteered his best friend for the penalty shot. Everyone was quick to agree, and he joined in, despite his wanting to take the shot himself.  
  
He saw Guy's face, which was astonished, and grinned slightly. Guy probably didn't want to take the shot now that he was on the spot. Guy was like that.  
  
But no matter, Bombay chose Charlie. And in the end, as Charlie skated to the center of the ice, no one was surprised. It was Charlie, coach's favorite. And even if everyone liked 'spazway', they still couldn't hold back the slight envy that the coach didn't have as much faith in them as he did in Charlie.  
  
But Guy didn't mind, and he glanced back up at the audience. There was his mother, sitting next to Averman's mom, and she waved at him. She had greeted him in an un-characteristic cheerful way earlier, before the game. Everyone had been taken aback, since Guy was not exactly a happy go lucky type of guy. Yet here was his mother, acting like someone she was, so it struck them as odd.  
  
Especially Connie, who had met a completely different Laurine Germaine that day when Guy had kissed her for the first time. And Jesse, who just remembered Guy's mother as a shy woman who never had much to say, sort of like Guy was sometimes.  
  
And yet, there she was, cheering for Guy even when he wasn't taking the penalty shot.  
  
But Guy forgot all about his mother when he saw Charlie make the shot, and score. He cheered before the others, and skated over to Charlie with the other ducks. He ruffled Charlie's hair affectionately, and they all pulled into a group hug. He saw Charlie pull away from the group and hug his mother, and than Bombay. At that moment, Guy turned and found himself facing Connie. She was looking away, but he felt this overwhelming urge and he took hold of her wrists. She looked at him, and he then kissed her forcefully on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck for a moment, and kissed back before they stumbled on the ice, and parted.  
  
Goldburg and Jesse stared in awe for a moment, and then Goldburg started to cheer, and then proceeded to let the rest of the team know that Guy and Connie had kissed like people off of baywatch. That was blowing it out of proportion, but you know Goldburg.   
  
Jesse sort of stared at them, feeling his stomach get a sick-sort of feeling, and he looked away when Connie kissed Guy once again.   
  
Guy's mother had also witnessed the kiss, and found herself realizing she had missed a lot more of this year of Guy's than she should have.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Charlie's mom loves BOMBAY, Charlie's mom loves BOMBAY, Charlie's mom loves-"  
  
"Oh screw you."  
  
Guy rolled his eyes as Peter bothered Charlie about the kiss Charlie's mother and Coach Bombay had shared before Bombay left. They were all walking through mainstreet now. Charlie's mother had been in such a drifty and happy mood that she didn't seem to notice when they left.  
  
"Charlie's mom and Bombay weren't the ONLY ones doing some kissing around here." Goldburg said slyly, nudging Guy's side. "Right Guy? Eh, Connie?"  
  
Connie flushed, and looked away from the boys who all started making comments, minus Guy and Jesse. Tammy glared at them, and walked over to Connie. The two girls seemed to begin chatting, which amazed some considering Connie and Tammy were two very different people. But Connie seemed as if she didn't really feel like talking to the guys right about now.  
  
"Tammy, wh-where are you going?" Jesse said, pretending to look hurt. "Don't you want me anymore?! T-tammy?"  
  
Tammy just ignored him, and blushed as she and Connie walked ahead.  
  
"You guys don't know much about girls." Fulton said as they walked along.  
  
"Yeah, but my sister thinks you're the greatest anyway." Tommy told Jesse absently. Jesse blushed and stuck his hands in his pockets.  
  
"No she doesn't. Stop being an idiot." Jesse replied.  
  
"I have to be home soon." Adam said, checking his watch. "I don't mean to sound like a pansy, but I seriously do."  
  
"We'll probably pass by your house sooner or later." Terry replied.  
  
"I can't believe we won..." Karp suddenly broke in.  
  
"I know." Averman replied, not joking around. "I never thought it was possible."  
  
"I did." Fulton broke in. "Bombay is awsome. I knew he could get us to the top."  
  
"My mom says congratulations, by the way." Guy muttered suddenly. "She says you were all just GREAT."  
  
Peter and Terry raised eyebrows at Guy, and Charlie nodded cautiously and replied. "Uh...tell her thanks."  
  
"Your mom is pretty, Guy." Tommy said cheerfully. All the others burst out laughing then, and Guy suddenly wished he was at home. "But she has a mark on her face."  
  
They all choked on the laughter, and Guy glared at Tommy. "Birthmark." He snapped. Jesse knew well enough the 'birthmark' was actually old stitches, but he kept his mouth shut.  
  
Guy looked at the girls ahead of them, and jogged slightly up to them. He stopped next to Connie. "Hey." He grinned at her, and she grinned back.  
  
"Hey." She replied shyly. He bit his lip, and then took her hand, and she clasped it somewhat tightly.  
  
Tammy seemed to get the message, and stopped walking as Guy and Connie walked on, and the other ducks caught up with her, then started to walk with tem. Jesse put his arms around Tammy's waist, and she yelped, trying to get him off of her.  
  
"I knew you'd come back." He said huskily in her ear, and she turned bright red as she pushed him, and proceeded to hide behind Charlie.  
  
"Why can't you be NICE, like Charlie?" Tammy accused.  
  
"Because Charlie's' BORING." Jesse teased, and Charlie swung at him.  
  
Guy blocked out the talking behind them as he walked along with Connie. She glanced shyly at him, and he grinned at her each time she did. She didn't seem to know quite what to say about the kiss.   
  
"I think you still could've taken the penalty." She muttered. "Even if Charlie was great."  
  
Guy smiled shyly. "Thanks."  
  
"I mean...I um..." She stutterred. Guy found this extremely cute, and he inched himself closer to her. She blushed at this. "I...I was gladyoukissedme."   
  
Guy blinked. "Yeah, I know. I could tell."  
  
"Oh shut up!" She grinned, and pushed him affectionately.  
  
"GUY!"  
  
Everyone stopped walking at the outburst, and Guy winced. His MOM. He turned to see her breaking through his friends, and rushing up to him.  
  
"I've been looking EVERYWHERE for you! I tried to congratulate you after the game, but you never let me! Lets go home and celebrate! Excuse me Connie dear..." She pulled Guy away from the girl, and turned to his friends. "Good job, all of you! Come on Guy!"  
  
She pulled his wrist back to where she came, to the car that was parked not too far away. Guy didn't even saw goodbye as his mother dragged him off, and he had a very blank expression on his face.  
  
"See ya..." Jesse muttered as they drove off. Everyone was somewhat silent.  
  
"Guy's mom isn't a lot like Guy, is she?" Tammy said, finally breaking the silence.  
  
"Nope." Averman agreed. "Not at all."  
  
"She acts different all the time." Connie said to Jesse, but everyone listened in. "Remember? When-?"  
  
"Yeah. I know." Jesse nodded. "Okay, we better head on home. Tammy, Tommy, Terry (jeezus, mouthful), Averman and Connie. Let's go."  
  
"Yes SIR." Tommy saluted him, and Averman laughed slightly and followed with Tammy, Terry and Connie.  
  
"See you." The others said, turning the street, not feeling like going home quite yet.  
  
Jesse glanced at Connie, who had a thoughtful look on her face. "You okay, Cons?"  
  
"Hhm?" She snapped out of her thoughts. "Uh, yes! I'm fine."  
  
They walked along in uneasy silence, none really knowing what to say, and wondering why they felt so odd about meeting Guy's mother. Soon, they reached Connie's house where her brother was in the front yard playing on his acoustic guitar.  
  
"Hey Cons. Mom and Dad are out." He said casually. She walked swiftly by him.  
  
"So what else is new?" She retorted, and slammed the door after her, once inside the house. Sean winced, and then looked quizzically back at the others.  
  
"What the hell?" He asked bluntly.  
  
"Don't ask." Jesse shook his head. "Tell her I'll come by and see her later with Guy."  
  
And with that, the rest of them walked of, and Tammy kept sending glances back to Connie's house. They walked on, dropping off Averman, and then Terry, Tommy, Jesse and Tammy were all walking slowly onward. They came up to Terry and Jesse's house, and Tommy ran on ahead to his and Tammy's-which was two houses away.  
  
"Jesse...?" Tammy muttered suddenly, as he was about to follow his brother inside. He turned to look at her.  
  
"Yeah? What?" He asked bluntly, shutting the door. "Are you okay? Don't worry about Connie."  
  
"I know." She was fiddling with her fingers, and blushing heavily. "That's...that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."  
  
Jesse gave her an odd look. "Then what? What is it?"  
  
"It's just that..." She looked at him, and Jesse noticed for the first time how her eyes did something different when she looked at him. "I...I think I'm..."  
  
"Yeeeeee-ees?" Jesse nodded, telling her to proceed.  
  
"I really really really like you even though you're stupid so you can stop teasing me about it!" She burst out, all in one breath. Jesse stared at her in awe, as if all the things his friends told him had finally come to his realization.  
  
"What!? I don't tease you! I didn't even know you did!"  
  
"But you...I just...BYE." She turned to run off, then stopped, ran back up to him, and kissed him firmly on the lips, and then pulled away. They looked at each other for a second, Jesse dumbfounded, and then Tammy ran off again, with a leap to her run.  
  
Jesse turned around to walk inside, but forgot he'd closed the door and walked head first into it. Swearing violently, he opened it, stepped inside, and slammed it behind him.  
  
"I saw that." Terry grinned, appearing out of nowhere.   
  
"Fuck you." Jesse retorted, and walked by him.  
  
"What, you don't like Tammy?" Terry exclaimed. "But she's a babe!"  
  
"Terry." Jesse turned to face his brother, as they were standing outside of his room, and he still held his nose in his hands, wincing. "There IS actually more to liking someone than looks. It's a good portion of it, but I think Tammy will get over me. At least, I hope so."  
  
Terry looked puzzled, then suddenly nodded. "It's Connie, isn't it? You still have a crush on Connie."  
  
"I SAID fuck you." Jesse snapped, and went inside their room and shut the door. Terry shook his head, and walked off, not understanding his brother at all.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Guy had known something was wrong. He had known something hadn't been right. He'd known from that moment his mom ran towards him on mainstreet. And he'd been right.  
  
Max had called. He was in VANCOUVER. DRUNK.   
  
And now his mother was going on about giving him another chance and how maybe she needed to help him out. And thus, Guy had refused to speak with her.  
  
"Really, Guy. It's probably for the best." She nodded as they drove on home. "He's not the way he was, I know it. Everything will be fine. Smile for me."  
  
"No." Guy snapped, slouching in his seat. "And stop acting like a god damn kindergarten teacher. I don't want anything to do with fucking Max."  
  
His mother slammed the breaks at a red light. "WHERE did you learn to speak like that to your mother?!"  
  
"Since I heard MAX do it all the time." Guy snapped back, glaring at her. She stared at him, realizing she couldn't make a comeback. Max HAD done that all the time, HAD made her cry. "God...I should just start smoking again."  
  
"NO you wont." Laurine snapped. "Guy, there will be a change in our household. You will be raised as a child should. No smoking or stealing or hitting or anything." Laurine nodded as they drove on. "Max will get some help, and-"  
  
"Fuck Max." Guy said blankly. "I don't care. I've tried mom. But I can't deal with him anymore." Guy sighed. "I want to be like the rest of my friends..."  
  
At that moment, Guy finally sounded a bit more like a ten year old, but very unlike himself. Guy wanted to be unique, Guy was mature for his age. He didn't want to usually be like his friends.  
  
But his mother was kicked around, and so was he when Max was got bored with him. Ofcourse he wanted to be normal if it meant getting away.  
  
"It'll be the same thing over and over." Guy muttered. And then he ignored his mother for the remainder of the drive home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adam Banks liked Guy. Not as in the homosexual sort of fashion, of course not. But he had liked him, and he wished he had taken the time to get to know him. For some reason he felt as if Guy...as if Guy really needed someone to understand him.  
  
And Adam did too, so it was an odd connection.  
  
But the connection was never formed because of Guy's somewhat shy personality. He was okay with you once you knew him, but actually going through the first awkward meeting and conversation with him would be difficult. Jesse had said so. The only ones who'd had an easy time getting really close to Guy were Jesse, Connie and Averman. The rest had to work through the awkwardness, and they did.  
  
And Adam really wanted to, because Guy just looked like he needed more. Like he really had someone thing to say that was going on in his life, but he didn't say it. Adam knew what that was like. How his father had been angry at Adam after he said he would join the ducks. And how he'd had no friends-none-for a few weeks.  
  
So he couldn't help it if he wanted to make Guy feel better, even though he didn't know what Guy needed to feel better about. But that didn't matter.   
  
Because this was sort of like what Charlie did for him. Even though Charlie didn't know what Adam was always so upset about, he was nice and there. And now Adam felt that was what made him a Duck. Looking out for the other ducks, even if you weren't really close with that particular one.  
  
Did that mean he was really becoming a duck? Or did it make him a wannabee? A cake-eater? Adam didn't really know.  
  
  
End of Part 7  
  
(I have a feeling this part sucked, I'm sorry. Next chapter is the start of the D2 part of the fic. So all of ye, ENJOY.) 


	9. Change My Stride

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 8: Change My Stride  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Yeah! Now I can introduce more people! PORTMAN!!!!!! WOOOOO!!!! Oh yes. I will not mention age until I hit the D3 part of the story. This is because I don't know d2 ages, and refuse to believe they're all like...twelve. That's dumb.)  
  
Julie Gaffney, Luis Mendoza, Dean Portman, Kenny Wu and Dwayne Robertson all shifted around nervously in the change room, waiting for Gordan Bombay to come in and let them know they're about to be introduced to their new team.  
  
Julie glanced around. Though she was no wuss, she definitely did NOT want to be the only girl on her team. Not when she'd mean some of these guys. In fact, Dean Portman's first words to her were 'What? Now hockey has cheerleaders?'.  
  
She'd slugged him, and it'd shut him up. But she still felt angry. Back in Maine, there were two other girls that were just as good hockey players as some of the boys in this room with her. But the officials of the young hockey player's association were still pricks, and were only willing to let Julie on the official USA team.  
  
"Hey cutie, why the long face?"  
  
Julie glared at Portman, and he chuckled. He'd made it his obligation to pick on her ever since the cheerleader comment, and depsite Julie finding him very attractive, she still wanted to smash his face.  
  
"Fuck you." She snapped.  
  
"Stop fighting." Luis broke in. "If Bombay comes in here and we're all acting like a bunch of idiots, we can kiss all of this goodbye."  
  
"I didn't ask for your opinion, pretty boy." Portman retorted.  
  
"Never the less, he gave it." Ken told Portman, crossing his arms. "So all of you, shut up. And Dwayne, what ARE you doing?"  
  
Dwayne looked up from his spot on the bench. "Lookin' at the team's pictures. They all have individual shots! Take a look!"  
  
The others crowded around the official shots, and were soon making comments about the members.  
  
"Conway, Charlie." Luis read.   
  
"Morbid." Julie broke in. "Cute, but morbid." Portman rolled his eyes, and read the next Duck.  
  
(May I add, that I'm too lazy to make them alphabetical order? Deal with it.)  
  
"Banks, Adam." Portman laughed. "PANSY."  
  
"But he's one of the best players." Ken told him. "Haven't you heard of him?"  
  
"Hall, Jesse." Julie grinned. "He's cute too."  
  
"Is that all you think about, pervert?" Portman snapped.  
  
"Well I haven't seen them play yet, have I?" Julie retorted. "They're any girls on the team, Dwayne?"  
  
"Uhm..." Dwayne flipped through some of the pages. "Yeah! Wow...she's purdy..."  
  
Portman, Luis and Ken all eagerly tried to look at her picture. Julie shoved Portman. "You call ME a pervert?"  
  
"Well, with YOU being the only girl on the team, I was heading for disappointment as far as looks went."  
  
Julie shoved him harder, and then looked at the girls picture. "Moreau, Connie." She had to admit, she WAS extremely pretty. And she played forward. That meant she was the only girl in Team USA that was out on the ice puck handling, meaning she was GOOD.  
  
"I'm in love..." Luis drifted off. Ken rolled his eyes, and went back to the page they left off. "Averman, Lester."  
  
"What sort of name is LESTER?" Dwayne laughed.  
  
"What sort of name is DWAYNE?" Ken replied.  
  
"Goldburg, Greg." Portman read the next page. "Hey, they already HAVE a goalie!"  
  
Julie frowned heavily then. That meant she..."I'm a substitute..."  
  
"Aw, don't ya worry Julie." Dwayne said. "When they see how good you are, I'm SURE you'll be first Goalie."  
  
"Don't worry, you'll play." Ken reassured her.  
  
"If the fat guy DIES, maybe." Portman teased, and she swung at him again.  
  
"Reed, Fulton." Ken read out, and then raised an eyebrow. "Fulton's an odd name."  
  
"He looks COOL." Portman snapped.   
  
"One more player ta go." Dwayne said, skipping over Connie's page since they already read it (ignoring the 'can I keep her picture?' from Luis.)  
  
"Germaine, Guy." Luis read out. Julie smiled once more.  
  
"God, this team has some good-looking players on it. Look at that HAIR."  
  
"Yeah, but look at that HAT." Portman added. Julie rolled her eyes.  
  
"It's called UNIQUENESS. Which YOU wouldn't know about, Mr. I-do-what-everybody-else-does."  
  
"I DO NOT, BRAT!"  
  
"Shut UP." Ken sighed. He turned to Luis and Dwayne. "At least you two are complete idiots-"  
  
But they were it seemed, for both were drooling over the picture of Connie. Ken then started having doubts about leaving figure skating and going into hockey.  
  
But the door of the room opened, and Gordan Bombay stepped in and chuckled at the noisiness. "We're uh...ready for you. Oh, and she's taken." Gordan said to Luis and Dwayne. "Her and Guy have been an item since they were little."  
  
"DAMNIT!"  
  
The players followed Bombay out of the dressing room, through the hall and then onto the ice, where they faced the Ducks.  
  
e  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Guy liked them. They weren't that bad. Here he'd been worried that they would all be a bunch of arrogant mooks who were much better than them. But they all seemed to be getting along pretty well, minus Dwayne being a complete moron.  
  
Bombay had left them to play against eachother for a few moments while he talked to their sponsors.  
  
He winked at Connie, who winked back. She was taking the face off and Jesse was going to drop the puck (and then scurry back to place). The newbies chose Luis to take the face-off and Guy couldn't help but notice how his eyes lit up when he saw Connie.  
  
Connie looked up at Luis, who winked at her in a much more perverse fashion than Guy had. She just raised an eyebrow, and got ready for the face off.  
  
"If you're as good a player as you are good-looking." Luis said suavely. "Then you'd bee the best player on the god damn ice."  
  
"Save your breath for the game." Connie snapped.  
  
Luis shrugged at her cold shoulder. "Feisty."  
  
"Fuck you." Jesse glared at Luis as he said this. "She's not interested. She has a boyfriend you know."  
  
"Start the GAME, DAMNIT!" Julie called from the net.  
  
"Yes, sweetheart." Portman answered back in a sweet voice. Julie just glared.  
  
Jesse dropped the puck, and Connie easily swiped the puck from Luis and went sailing down the ice towards Julie's net. Luis turned rapidly, his pride wounded. He skated speedily down the ice towards her, easily catching up.  
  
Guy skated up in position not too far from behind Connie, and Jesse did the same. Charlie and Averman yawned in defense, and started playing rock paper scissors.  
  
"This entire game will consist of Connie kicking that Mendoza guy's ass, now." Averman said, and then turned to Adam on the sides. "Wanna switch up now?"  
  
"No!" Goldburg snapped. "I have to prove I'm a much better goalie than that babe!"  
  
Just as Luis caught up with Connie, she cut a quick stop, and Luis went flying by her into the boards.  
  
"Never mind." Goldburg sighed. "I think you're right."  
  
"I'll come out." Adam said, coming onto the ice.  
  
~~~Week Later, LA~~~  
  
The Team USA were all sprawled in the nearby park, relaxing in their summer clothes and lying lazily on the grass.  
  
"You guys aren't half bad." Jesse admitted grudgingly.  
  
"Same to you." Ken said, but in a much more cheerful way, and then sipped some of his Mango Juice in a can. "Which means we're a good team."  
  
"If we learn to work together." Julie said wisely. Then she glared at Portman. "And if you weren't such an idiot."  
  
"I know you want me." Portman said casually.  
  
Connie in the meanwhile, was standing up and doing stretches nearby. "You're back feel any better, Cons?" Charlie asked her.  
  
"Slightly." Connie answered. "Thanks for checking me into the boards, Guy."  
  
"Sorry." Guy looked at her guiltily. "But I couldn't get my grip to stop. I feel like a moron. You want a massage?"  
  
Luis spit out the Root Beer that he had currently had in his mouth from sipping his drink. Dwayne stared in awe at Guy, as if the privilege of massaging Connie's back was one of a man in heaven.  
  
"Maybe later." Connie winked at him.  
  
Luis started coughing, and Fulton thumped his back. "You okay, Mendoza?"  
  
"Peachy." Luis choked out.  
  
"So, 'CAT'." Goldburg said menacingly to Julie. "Are you any good?"  
  
"Yes." Julie answered bluntly. "Why are you even asking? You saw me."  
  
"SOMEONE'S cocky!" Goldburg gruffed.  
  
Julie raised an eyebrow, and folded her arms across her chest. "I wont deny I'm good. Just like the rest of us shouldn't. That will just bring out confidence down." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Duh."  
  
Portman suddenly looked at Guy, who was scooting over to let Connie sit next to him. Averman was making fun of Dwayne's cowboy hat, Julie was teasing Goldburg, Jesse was chatting with Connie, Ken and Adam were conversing skates, Charlie, Fulton and Luis were also talking (but Luis wasn't really paying attention as he stared at Connie.) Yeah, he was ready to accept them as a team, but Guy looked oddly familiar.  
  
"Hey, Guy? Are you related to a guy named Jake? Jake Russleson?"  
  
Guy looked sharply at Portman, his smile erased from his face. "Yes. Why?"  
  
"You look like, exactly like him. Seriously. Is he your uncle or something?"  
  
Guy clenched and unclenched his fists. "He's my birth-dad."  
  
Portman was silent. Jesse and Connie were listening, but besides Guy and Portman, they were the only ones who had heard the conversation. "Have you...ever met him?" Portman asked finally.  
  
"No." Guy answered bluntly. "He's never been interested in looking for me. And I don't know where he is, and why the hell am I telling you this?" He snapped. Then he glared at Connie and Jesse. "Butt out!"  
  
He stood up, and stomped off towards his roller-blades, which were resting on a tree beside the other Duck's skates. He pulled them on roughly.  
  
"Guy!" Connie walked quickly up to him. "Where are you going?"  
  
"Somewhere." He replied.  
  
"I'll go with-"  
  
"I want to be alone." He snapped, and when he noticed her expression, his tone softened. "Sorry. I'll tell you what's up later. But now now." He kissed her briefly on the lips, and turned around. "Sorry for being a dick." With that, he skated off.  
  
Portman walked beside Connie, and ran his hand through his hair. "Shit. What'd I do? I didn't mean to get into a touchy subject."  
  
"It's okay. You didn't do anything-Jesse! He wants to be alone!"  
  
Guy's best friend was pulling on his own roller blades. "I don't care. I don't want Guy going through another silent stage again. See ya." He skated off after his best friend.  
  
"Uuh.." Averman called from where the other players were sitting. "Did we all miss something?"  
  
"Germaine and Jesse had to head back." Portman said in a casual voice. "Said they had to speak with Bombay about something. Forget, and now they're late."  
  
"Good lie." Connie mumbled.  
  
"I've had practice." He mumbled, winked at her. Then in a loud voice, continued. "Come on babe, lets join the others." He held out his arm. Connie snorted and burst out laughing.   
  
"No thanks, Hercules. And don't call me babe." She sauntered back to the ducks, and chose to sit next to Julie, who gave her a high five. Portman shrugged, and followed, realizing Connie was perfectly happy with Guy. And besides, Julie was funner to bug anyway.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Guy skidded to a stop in a secluded area in the corner of the park (far from the others) , and sat down roughly, running his hands through his hair. Someone just had to remind him of his fucked up house, didn't they? Thank God he had left for Los Angelas. Max had been back for only a week before Guy had, and even though Max hadn't done any hitting, Guy knew he would probably start any minute.  
  
He hadn't changed. Guy knew it. His mother didn't.  
  
"Guy!!"  
  
Guy looked up to see Jesse skidding to a stop in front of him, and then plopping down next to him on the grass. "Hi." Guy muttered.  
  
"Hey." Jesse replied. "You gonna explain your bitching? Or do I have to force it out of you?"  
  
"Jesse..." Guy muttered, his voice choked up. "I'm getting tired of everything. I swear to God, If I have to hear ANYTHING about my family while I'm here..."  
  
Jesse was surprised. "Guy?" He muttered shakily. "Something's been...been up that you haven't been telling us, isn't there?"  
  
Guy nodded, and a sob burst out. "Shit." Guy cursed. "I'm acting like a fucking pussy again."  
  
"No you're not, moron." Jesse snapped. "Tell me what the hell is up." Guy didn't answer. "Guy?" Still nothing but choked up sobs and swearing. "Guy!! Tell me!"  
  
Guy looked up and sniffed. "Shit." He said again. "Shit shit shit. It's fucking pouring out. I haven't cried since...since I was with you and Connie that one time...when I was nine."  
  
"Guy. I'm your best friend." Jesse said, somewhat uncomfortably. Saying his emotions and caringness about his friends wasn't something Jesse did often, but he knew he had to do something to get Guy to calm down and tell him what was up. "I wont go screaming to everyone your secrets. You can tell me."  
  
"My step-dad is a fucking asshole." Guy muttered out, his voice shuddering with sobs.  
  
"Guy, I knew you two didn't get along, but..." Jesse cracked his knuckles, an act he always did when nervous. "But don't blow it out of proportion."  
  
"No, I'm SERIOUS." Guy exclaimed. "He beat the shit out of my mom daily back when they were first together. You remember that huge bump I had? And mom's stitches? And all the other times?"  
  
Jesse nodded shakily, realizing.  
  
"Well that was HIM." Guy spat out. "All of it was him...and I couldn't protect mom and I couldn't protect me." Guy lowered his head. "I've never met my real dad. My mom wont tell me where he is." He shook his head. "Mom even hit me a few times. She didn't mean to, but it's like Max influenced her."  
  
Jesse was overwhelmed. 'How could I have not guessed ANYTHING?' He thought. 'How could I have not KNOWN?' "Holy shit..." Jesse muttered. "Have you...have you called the cops or ANYTHING?"  
  
"Mom wouldn't want Max to be arrested." Guy muttered. "He's home again."  
  
Jesse couldn't think of anything to say. He sighed, and stuttered a reply. "I wont tell anyone, Guy. And when we get home...you...you can stay at my house if you want."  
  
Guy smiled at his best friends. "Thankyou, Jess."  
  
END OF PART 8  
  
(Oooohooohooo SSAAAADDD. I was really hyper when I wrote this and I couldn't concentrate and I kept wanting to turn this scene into a comic gay chapter. But I didn't. Heehee, couldn't you see it? 'Jesse, I...I...LOVE you!' "Well it's about time ya told me, moron!" Nyahaha...I shall do that someday. ^_~) 


	10. Zose Canaan Days

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 9: Zose Canaan Days  
By Funkiechick  
  
(I finally got to writing. The title rocks, you'll see how it's connected at the end of the chapter. It was recently my birthday, and my parents bought me D3!! I haven't seen that movie in so long. I haven't seen D2 in a while either...I should do that. I love D2. May I make an announcement? Yes! ^_^ Once Breaking Hazel is finished, I'm doing a similar story, only based on Ken, which is linked to this one. I love Ken. Maybe I'll do a Jesse one, and maybe a Portman, but probably not. However, I'm taking a break from long going fics once Breaking Hazel is done, with one shots and stuff, then I'm moving on to the Ken one. By then I probably wont be doing any more huge character life based fics. I might, I don't know. Anyway, I'm done rambling. Please note that it's been awhile since I've seen D2, so if I make any mistakes, I'm SOOOWWWYYY. I'm talking too much. Enjoy this chapter.)  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' or any of the songs. Oh yeah, and I don't own The Mighty Ducks.   
  
Bombay shook his head as Luis and Guy started arguing over who screwed up the shot that had been missed. Sure, everyone else seemed to getting along okay (even Guy and Dwayne were doing fine) but the tension between Luis and Guy was getting unbearable-even for the Ducks.  
  
Bombay had let it go for awhile. After all, back when these kids were ten, Charlie had some tension around the others due to his and Bombay's closeness. But Luis and Guy didn't have that childhood friendship that would stop their fighting. So he didn't know what would. Except for...  
  
"Connie!" Bombay called out to the girl practicing slap shots against Julie. "Connie, OVER HERE."  
  
Connie looked up, and then at Julie and shrugged. She skated over to him, pulling the front of her helmet up. "What's up?" She asked.  
  
"Please tell me they aren't fighting over you." He groaned, pointing to Guy and Luis. Connie looked over, and then let out a cry of frustration.   
  
"They're both being idiots." She snapped. "I'm mad at the both of them, but Guy should know better! He knows I wouldn't just ditch him for..." She broke herself off, and then blushed. Bombay grinned. "Anyway." She said quickly. "Yeah...unfortunately. They're fighting over me, which roots to them fighting over everything ELSE."  
  
"Do you think you could manage to, I don't know...break them up somehow?"  
  
"For a little while, yeah. But then it'll just start up again." Connie replied. She shook her head. And I have too much of a temper to make them stop in the end. I'll just end up shouting at them. What we need is more of a peacemaker to help me out." Connie looked up at Bombay. "Or else I might just slug the both of them."  
  
"Unfortunately, I can't let you do that." Bombay told her. "However, I know someone who can help you." Bombay turned his head to the ice. "KEN!"  
  
Connie turned her head rapidly as the small former figure skater made his way over to her and the coach, looking curious.  
  
"Hey." He said, crossing his arms. "You called me?"  
  
"You notice the morons?" He asked Ken, pointing to Luis and Guy. Ken laughed.   
  
"Of course I do. All of us do. What about it?"  
  
"You're a calm guy, Kenny." Bombay said. "I'm going to leave it to you and Connie to ixnay on the diotsiay."  
  
Ken and Connie stared at Bombay in disbelief. "You just don't want to do it yourself!"  
  
"True." Bombay nodded, and with that, skated off to work with Fulton's left turns.  
  
"Well, this is just great." Connie groaned. "I don't want to deal with either of them."  
  
"You think I DO?" Ken retorted, then shook his head. "I guess I have to. Sorry Luis is screwing things up between you and Guy." Ken sighed. "He's an idiot, but a nice guy in the end."  
  
Connie smiled. "It's okay."  
  
And thus, both skated off alone to discuss their tactics. However, they did not go un-noticed by Guy, Jesse, Dwayne and Luis.  
  
"Who does that small fry think he IS?" Luis growled.  
  
"I'll lasso him and throw him into a pasture full of ragin' BULLS!"  
  
Guy crossed his arms, and looked solemnly at Connie and Ken, whispering excitedly to each other. Jesse found himself surprised when he didn't feel the familiar sick feeling in his stomach overtake him. In fact lately, it hadn't been there.  
  
He hadn't even thought of Connie until now...what did that mean? He still loved her, cared about her...yes of course he did.  
  
Guy skated off, then started shooting slap shots at Julie, who saved them easily.  
  
"HOW COME NO ONE IS PRACTICING AT ME??!!" Goldburg shouted out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I call showers first!!" Connie ran to the showers before any of the guys could.  
  
"Me too!" Julie followed her.  
  
"Me three!!" Portman started to follow them until he was hit in the face with both Connie and Julie's shoulder pads.  
  
"Pervert! Idiot!! JERK!!! MORON!!!!" Julie shouted at him.  
  
"You two smell..." Portman wrinkled his nose and kicked at the shoulder pads.  
  
"Which is why the need a SHOWER." Guy said sarcastically, then checked his watch. "I'm just gonna catch a shower at the hotel, okay? I'm leaving."  
  
"How come?" Averman asked. "You want me to go with you or something? We can catch a movie."  
  
"Nah. I need to be by myself." Guy said to Averman.   
  
"Fine. We don't give a shit." Luis snapped. Guy glared at him.  
  
"Stuff it, girly boy."  
  
Before Luis could do anything, Portman and Fulton grabbed his shoulders and pulled away from Guy. Jesse glared at Luis.  
  
"If you don't want him to make you angry, stop starting the fights. And same to you, Guy."  
  
"I think both of you are being idiots." Adam said, shaking his head.  
  
"Yeah, I don't mean to sound all dumb. But we need to work together." Goldburg agreed.  
  
"Luis, Guy? Shake hands." Charlie said. Luis glared at Guy and ignored the request.  
  
Guy shrugged as he changed into a dirty t-shirt and long shorts. He stuffed his skates into his locker, and then grasped his rollerblades, pulling them on. "Tell Connie I'll talk to her later okay?" He asked Jesse. "And tell the girls I said bye."  
  
He skated out the door, past a tired looking Bombay who started to protest at his leaving, but then stopped.  
  
"I'm tired." Bombay groaned. "Okay, could someone tell Guy that we have a practice tomorrow morning at 6am?"  
  
"6AM!!??" Connie shouted, her head peeking out from behind the showers. Luis stared at her slightly showing bare shoulder, and then she eeped, and went back behind the showers.  
  
"Yes 6am! Your practice was pitiful. We have to work hard if we want to win." He turned on his heel, and stalked out of the locker room.  
  
"TouchEE." Portman rolled his eyes.  
  
"I'm gonna catch a shower at the hotel too." Jesse sighed. "I mean, if I want to get to bed tonight at ALL."  
  
"Captain Blood is born." Averman joked.  
  
"Hey guys, he just wants us to work hard and do the best we can." Adam said.  
  
"Give Bombay some credit." Charlie agreed.  
  
"I'm still going to bed early." Fulton said. "Either way, I don't want to get less than seven hours."  
  
The others agreed as they started to undress, and get ready to leave. Ken and Portman agreed to stay and take the girls home as the others left (both girls insisting they were fine on their own and Julie saying Portman was worse than anything that could attack them, and thus the two started bickering), and Jesse felt himself surprised once again when he found he didn't want to take Connie home and pronounce undying love, and slapped himself when he found himself wondering how Tammy was doing back in Minnesota, and slapped himself again (ignoring Averman's 'Uuh, Jess? What are you doing?' ) then grinning at a girl and whistling at another on the rollerblade trip home.  
  
He liked CONNIE, right?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Guy rollerbladed silently, not wanting to be in a large group. The memory of Portman knowing Jake still clear in his mind. Portman had told him Jake had been his rockclimbing teacher every summer since he was eight. And he would be going back for lessons that summer, as he always did.  
  
He told Guy that he could come. After all, didn't he want to meet his dad?  
  
Guy didn't know. And to top it all off, thoughts of Luis and Connie were entering in his mind, even though he seriously did not want them in there. He had his mind on his father, his mother and Max. But somehow, Connie came into his thoughts every once and awhile.   
  
But right now, all he wanted to think about was the fact he did want to meet Jake. And if they hit it off, did that mean he could live with him instead of Laurine and Max?  
  
Could he leave his mother?  
  
Portman said that he looked a lot like Jake. That the resemblance was uncanny. Which Guy supposed made sense, he didn't look much like his mother. All he really had was her hair color, and the rest was from his dad. The curly hair, the build, the brilliant smile and the deep hazel eyes.  
  
He had to tell his mother somehow. That he wanted to meet Jake. And that he would. He was going to arrange to come to lessons with Portman. He didn't know what he'd say, and he didn't know what he'd do. But somehow he would show Jake that he wasn't a coward as Guy found himself thinking of himself so often...  
  
He turned a quick corner, reaching the hotel, and came up to the front and buzzed himself in. The doors opened automatically, and Guy ignored the protest the bell boy made to him every day about not wearing roller blades inside the hotel. He skated to the elevator, and proceeded up to his room that he shared with Jesse and Ken.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bombay went through the sponsor offers and felt his blood pressure rise. He was stressed out and they hadn't even had their first game yet! He was exhausted. If only the Ducks would cooperate, perhaps he could handle the paper work and other things with less stress.   
  
He then decided on not allowing the Ducks the fancy hotel one day longer. From now on, bunking in a nice modest place. To show them how to rough it and quit it with the fancy kids act. They were getting much too cocky.  
  
The phone rang, and he looked at caller ID. It was Casey. He had given her his number but two days ago.  
  
Two days ago he would have answered it eagerly. But not anymore. It seemed as if Bombay had become a completely new person with the time he spent in LA.   
  
He let the phone ring, and he didn't know that when it was ringing, it was Casey calling to give him one last chance on the relationship. One he didn't deserve.  
  
~~~The Next Day~~~  
  
Jesse skated off, looking for Connie (whom had gone skating with Ken right after the game had ended). He had proposed he was going to tell her how he'd felt.  
  
He ignored the feelings of guilt when the thought about Guy, but Jesse had a feeling that he would be rejected either way.  
  
His feelings for Connie had become less noticeable to him, and Jesse figured if he told Connie, they'd come back. He'd remember how he felt.  
  
Right?...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ken yawned audibly as Connie talked to him rapidly after their first game as Team USA. They hadn't done too well, and he was exhausted.  
  
Connie thwapped his shoulder. They were rollerblading through the park, and discussing on their tactic of shutting up Guy and Luis.  
  
"Sorry." Ken muttered. "Tired. What're you worried about, anyway? Guy seems to have laid off a bit."  
  
"That's worrying me too." Connie sighed. "I feel like he's been keeping something from me. I mean, now that I think about it, I've felt that way for a long time. Guy doesn't always tell us things."  
  
"He's a self trusting person, I think." Ken told her. "More willing to keep things to himself than to let others know about them. Connie, look at me." He stopped skating in front of her, and she did as well as she looked up. "Guy will tell you what he has to tell you in all due time. Don't worry about it."  
  
Connie smiled at Ken once again. "I'm really glad I met you." She said. "Really. You're a true friend."  
  
Ken blushed slightly. "Hey, that's what I'm for. Good ol' Ken is there ta help Connie with her LUUVVV problems."  
  
"Oh HA HA." She shoved him playfully.  
  
"Hey, it's Jesse." Ken said, looking over Connie's shoulder. She turned and it was true, he was skating towards them rapidly.  
  
"Hey." He cut a stop. "Connie, can I talk with you a for a minute?"  
  
"Uh...sure. Shoot."  
  
"Alone?"  
  
Ken rolled his eyes. "I'm never wanted. Toss good ol' Ken aside once his use as run out."  
  
Connie laughed, and waved at him. "See you back at the bunks, Ken."  
  
"Bye you two." He skated off.  
  
"The bunks are way better than that cake-eater hotel, huh Connie?" Jesse started, as they skated slowly on.  
  
"Tell me about it. Finally I can breath and not have to worry about breaking everything. So what did you want to talk with me about?"  
  
Jesse stopped, and so did Connie. "Connie, it took me a long time to get the guts to say this...but I-" He cleared his throat. He took her hands awkwardly, and Connie turned red.  
  
"Jesse, what're you-"  
  
"I care about you so much, Connie." Jesse blurted out, yet somehow managed to make it sound more sincere than anything he had said in his twelve years of life. "I mean, more than a friend. And I know you and Guy are an item, but I've had these feelings for a long time and you'll always mean the world to me."  
  
Connie's mouth opened and shut in a fish like manor.   
  
"I just wanted you to know that." He bowed his head.  
  
"Jesse I don't...I can't...I mean-"  
  
Before she could really say anything, Jesse looked up at her, and kissed her lightly on the lips. He pulled back just as she was started to push him away.  
  
"Jesse!" Connie sounded confused, and shrill. "What are you DOING? You don't feel that way about me!"  
  
Jesse was dumbfounded. He had expected her to reject him in an understanding and sympathetic way. Now she was telling him he didn't feel the way he did?  
  
"Connie, I know how I feel. I've felt that way since I was-"  
  
"You think you did. And maybe you did at one point, but you don't anymore. I know you don't. Please try to remember you don't, okay?" She said pleadingly. "I don't want you to be hurt over something you really don't feel in the end. We're pals, remember? Hell, we kick each other's butts and check each other in the boards at HOCKEY. I'm your friend!"  
  
Jesse was silent. And for the first time, he knew she was right. The feelings were still there, and though they would slowly go away, they still had gotten smaller.  
  
He didn't feel that way about Connie anymore. At least, not as much as he'd thought he did. He had stopped falling for her. He'd caught himself halfway and started climbing up.  
  
"Connie I-" He stepped towards her. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be." Connie shook her head. "But you do know that you don't feel that way about me, don't you? That we're young, and it was a crush and I'm just like..." she thought. "I'm just as much of a friend to you as Guy is. That's what we are, Jesse. Only I'm a chick." She shrugged. "Only difference."  
  
"And you don't whine when I wake you up early, like Guy." Jesse nodded. He started to skate on. "Race you!"  
  
Connie smiled. "You're on!"  
  
And then Connie knew that those type of feelings between her and Jesse would never happen again, and Jesse knew that he could stop feeling his stomach hurt when Connie and Guy were together.  
  
He whistled at a girl who was walking by, and then he knew that from here on, getting over Connie wouldn't be too hard. He just had to make sure he didn't kiss her anymore.  
  
However, slight guilt overcame him when he remembered he had told Connie all that while Guy's back was turned and his mind pre-occupied, and one day he would have to tell Guy of this day.  
  
Oh well. He just didn't want to think about it. Not yet. Not now.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey." Guy muttered as Jesse came into the bunk. He too shared this one with Ken and Jesse, and hadn't gone out for fun like the rest of the Ducks did when they had finished the hockey game. He was sitting around, and found himself singing and humming songs from musicals. He hadn't done that for a long time, and wondered why he hadn't.  
  
"Hi." Jesse greeted, and his eyes shifted for a moment before looking normal again. "Hey Ken, sorry for stealing Connie from you this afternoon."  
  
"S'okay." Ken nodded, looking up from his notebook that he was scribbling in. "I don't mind."  
  
"You and Connie are pretty good friends now, huh?" Guy said, no jealousy in his voice (and Ken was glad Guy wasn't too much like Luis in that way.)  
  
"Just friends, yeah." Ken nodded, and went back to his notebook. All of them were tired, and not really in the mood to chat.  
  
However, Guy found himself singing slightly outloud, in a quiet voice.   
  
'Do you remember the good years in Canaan?  
The summers were endlessly gold.  
The fields were a patchwork of clover.  
The winters were never too cold.  
We'd stroll down the boulevards together.  
And everything round us was fine.'  
  
Ken grinned. "Hey that's..." He continued the song, over doing the french accent as it was to be done in the play.  
  
'Now ze fields are dead and bare.  
No joie de vivre anywhere.  
Et maintenant we drink ze bEETeeer WIIIN-AH!'  
  
"You two singing?" Jesse suddenly asked. Guy stopped immediately, and Ken did as well as he looked at his feet.   
  
"Yeah."  
  
Jesse looked sort of thoughtful. "Not bad."  
  
Him and Jesse looked at each other for a moment, and Guy felt himself understand why he had started singing musicals again. He hadn't felt like he was worth anything for a long time.  
  
Back before Max got too bad, Guy used to sing a lot. But when Max went over board, Guy stopped. But now Guy felt himself feeling...better?   
  
"Thanks." Guy grinned at Ken. "You like musicals."  
  
"My whole family does! I met Elaine Paige! I have her autograph in my room."  
  
"Lucky ass." Guy growled.  
  
Jesse shook his head. "Weirdo's. Guy, I didn't know you liked musicals."  
  
Guy shrugged, and Jesse remembered Guy didn't tell him everything about his past until only recently.  
  
"How do I sing that dumb song, anyway?" Jesse asked.  
  
"I have a lyrics book." Guy blushed. He rummaged through his duffel back. "You know, in case I felt like singing. Musicals are my hobby."  
  
He pulled out a binder, and was flipping through it. "Joseph...AH HA."  
  
"Joseph?" Jesse asked.  
  
"'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.' We were singing a song from it." Ken told him.  
  
Guy handed the lyrics to Jesse. "Try to pick it up."  
  
Then Guy and Ken looked at each other, and burst into the chorus, including the french accent.  
  
"Zose Canaan DAAAYS, we used to KNOOW!  
Where have zey GOOONE, where DIIIIIIIID zey go?  
Eh bien, raise your berets!  
To those CAAAANaaan daaays."  
  
Jesse found himself picking up the tune, and then they all looked at each other, grinned evilly, aaannnd.  
  
"ZOSOE CANAAN DAAAAAYS, WE USED TO KNOOOW!  
WHERE HAVE ZEY GONE, WHERE DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-"  
  
KNOCK KNOCK!  
  
"SHUT UP, MORONS!" Charlie's voice was heard.  
  
"BITE ME!" Ken shouted, and then they continued.  
  
"ZEY GOOOO, EH BIEN, RAISE YOUR BERETS!  
TO THOSE CAAAAAAAAnaaaaaan DAAAAAYS!"  
  
End of part 9  
  
(The ending may seem pointless, but actually is really important. Musicals are a big part of Guy, and him starting to sing again is a sign that he's getting better. And feeling better. But that doesn't mean some future parts of the fic aren't going to be dark. Yes, Ken will play an important role from now on, as will Portman. And when I hit the D3 part of the fic, I do not intend of forgetting about Jesse. I know this chapter wasn't too good, but for some reason, I really liked it. Maybe because I had Jesse, Ken and Guy all together singing. ^_^ Yes, that must be it. Oh yes, and thanks for all the nice reviews!!) 


	11. Meeting My Eyes

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 10: Meeting My Eyes  
By Funkiechick  
  
(I know this was quick, but I didn't get many reviews for the last part, so I decided I better get part 10 up quick so I could get my readers back. I figure BH will go up to about 15-20 parts, I'm still not sure. Either way, I've already begun planning for the Ken fic, and I have some one-shots I'm going to submit soon. Also, sneak peak at D3 parts. In the D3 part of BH, Guy is going to be participating in something that will surprise you all! And I will enjoy writing very much. So enjoy this part, and yes by the way, you all will meet Jake. I love Jake. He's very cool.)  
  
Guy and Portman stared at the phone booth, and then Guy sighed. He couldn't believe how easy this had been. The options had all been in front of him.  
  
Portman knew Jake's number. Of course he did, Jake WAS Portman's rock climbing instructor. And contacting Jake was as easy to Guy as skating was. But never the less, as they continued staring at the payphone, Guy couldn't get the guts to call Jake.  
  
"Call in on collect and charge it to your dumb step-dad." Portman grinned. "Go on."  
  
Guy gulped. There was that too, telling his mother. He couldn't charge it to Max-Max might think his mother called Jake, and beat her up-accusing her of cheating. Meaning he had to charge it to his mother.  
  
He walked inside the payphone booth, marveling at how his legs were working, and picked up the receiver. He jammed a quarter into the slot, and started punching in various numbers, reading out names.  
  
And soon the phone was connected, and started to ring. He looked at Portman (who gave him the thumbs up) and bit his lip.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Guy gulped again, trying to find the guts to speak.  
  
"Hello? Anyone there?"  
  
"Uh...hello?" Guy muttered. "Is...is this Jake Russleson?"  
  
"Yes it is." The voice answered back. "Now that we've got that across, how can I help you?"  
  
'I'm talking to my dad...' Guy thought with amazement. 'TALKING to him...'  
  
"I'm not sure if you know about me or anything..." Guy stuttered out. "But my name is Guy. Guy Germaine. I'm your...I'm your kid."  
  
Jake was silent on the other line, and when he spoke again, his voice cracked. "Guy? Is...is that really you? Guy's your name?"  
  
"Y-yeah." Guy replied. "Yeah, it's me. Mom doesn' t know that...that I'm calling you."  
  
"Jesus." Jake answered. "I just...sorry, I shouldn't swear."  
  
"I've heard worse, and I say worse."  
  
"I'm sorry I haven't contacted you." Jake blurted out. "Laurine never...never gave me your where abouts, and she never called until about a few months ago. And even then she hung up."  
  
"She-she called you?"  
  
"Yeah." They were silent again, and Jake was the one to break the silence. "How can I see you? Where are you right now?"  
  
"LA."  
  
"Laurine moved to LA?"  
  
"No. I'm here with my Hockey Team. I'm on Team USA." Guy couldn't help but brag a bit, and then hoped to God that Jake liked hockey.  
  
"Team USA??!!" Jake burst out. "Hell, Guy! I can watch you on TV!"  
  
"Yeah." Guy replied sheepishly, grinning. "And...and I want to come see you this summer. You know Dean Portman?"  
  
"Of course I know Dean. And I knew he played hockey...I just never would have thought...did DEAN help you find me?"  
  
"Yeah." Guy said. "Yeah he did. He said-he told me-that is..." Guy laughed slightly. "He says I look like a younger version of you. I...I have your eyes and everything." Guy laughed again. "God, I sound like a girl."  
  
"No you don't, Guy." Jake laughed. "I think we both sound really...90210-ish right now."  
  
Then Guy started laughing, and Jake was laughing. And then Guy felt like nothing was wrong anymore. He found his dad. And his dad liked him. He felt as if his life was changing. As if the world was changing.  
  
"I'm such a damn great guy." Dean said and smiled as he watched Guy continue to laugh and talk with Jake.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Wow Guy." Julie laughed slightly. "You're in a good mood. First Charlie has to shut you and Jesse and Ken up from late night singing, now you're dancing. What next, a musical?"  
  
Guy WAS in high spirits as he cha-cha-cha'd his way around the bunk room. All the Ducks were hanging out in Dean and Fulton's room. All sitting, minus the dancing Guy.  
  
"Yeah, what're YOU so happy about?" Goldburg asked.  
  
"Nothing much." Guy replied, and continued dancing.  
  
Connie smiled at him. "You're pretty good." Guy grinned at her-his special grin for her, the one he hadn't used in a while-and replied.  
  
"Anything to make you happy, Cons."  
  
"Gag me." Averman made a face, looking up from a dirty magazine that him and Goldburg were glancing through.  
  
Luis glared at Guy then, and Dwayne sighed unhappily as he leaned against the wall. "Don't start getting dumb on me." Fulton said to Luis. "I don't want any fights in our room."  
  
"Yeah. Sanctuary of Fulton and Portman is a sacred place." Portman nodded. "Banksie, what-cha doin'?"  
  
"Nothing, really." Adam replied, hiding the binder he had been writing in. "Nothing at all."  
  
"That's HOMEWORK!" Charlie gasped. "You're doing HOMEWORK."  
  
"Oooh, teachers pet. SOMEONE has the hots for Miss McKay!" Julie joked.  
  
"Leave him alone," Ken rolled his eyes. "He can do his homework if he wants."  
  
"I don't need you to defend me, Wu!" Adam snapped, blushing.  
  
"Who else will, cake-eater? Maybe Kenny has a CRUSH on you." Jesse grinned evily. With that, Ken jumped on Jesse in anger, Adam jumped on Jesse in MORE anger, Charlie jumped on Ken and Adam, trying to pull them away from Jesse, Luis jumped on Charlie for fun, Julie jumped on Luis to break up the fight and then Portman (his eyes lighting up) jumped on Julie to which she exclaimed 'DAMNIT! GET OFF ME!'  
  
Connie, Averman, Guy, Dwayne and Fulton stared in awe as Goldburg doubled up and took a running leap onto the pile.  
  
The aftermath, as I'm sure you've guessed, was disastrous. But Guy just shrugged, and decided to add to the weight by jumping on Goldburg. Connie followed, then Dwayne, then Fulton.  
  
Averman decided now was a good time to steal all of Fulton and Portman's stuff.  
  
  
~~~~~~Next Day~~~~~~  
  
Bombay yawned as he got out his car, and started to walk to the field where he saw the Ducks stretching. He yawned again, grumpily, and stalked over to them. They all gave each other nervous glances and despite the small part of him that knew he was being an asshole, he let it go.  
  
"Working hard?"  
  
"Yes, Caption Blood SIR." Averman said, doing a mock salute. Bombay glared at him, and Averman cowered. Bombay looked over the group, and then realized...  
  
"Where's Guy?"  
  
"On the payphone." Connie answered. "He said he had to make a quick call."  
  
"I don't care, this is practice!" He stomped towards the pay phone not too far away, where Guy was talking on the phone. Bombay glared at Guy through the glass of the booth. "Germaine!"  
  
"Uh, one sec." Guy said to the other line. "Yeah?" He asked Bombay.  
  
"This is PRACTICE. Who are you talking to?"  
  
"My dad."  
  
"Well you can call Max and your mother tonight, but-"  
  
"Not MAX. My dad."  
  
It took Bombay a moment to realize what Guy was talking about. But when he did, his expression softened. It didn't take a genius to know that Guy never really saw his real dad, and Bombay sighed.  
  
"Well, try not to take too long."  
  
"Actually, can you tell him the number to call me?" Guy asked. "Dad says he wants the long distance charges on him, not me. So he needs the number." Guy handed him the phone, and Bombay couldn't help but grin at how Guy was acting so young.  
  
'Dad says and Dad is...' like his dad was his hero.  
  
"Sure thing." Bombay took the phone, and spoke into the end. "Gordan Bombay, coach of the Ducks. Guy said you had to speak with me?"  
  
Guy gave his winner smile to Bombay, his spirits lift more. It felt like everything was right with the world. He blocked out the thoughts of going back to Laurine and Max after the games, and hoped like hell he could-just maybe-live with Jake.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, nice to talk to you. Yes, Guy is one of my best players. He really has a future ahead of him. No problem. Okay, here's Germaine." Bombay said in an announcer voice, handing the phone back to Guy.  
  
"Hey dad." Guy said.   
  
"Was that the same Gordon Bombay who got injured? So he can't be in the NHL?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Nice guy."  
  
"Caption Blood? Yeah, he's not bad."  
  
Bombay smirked at Guy. "Hurry up, Guy. Practice."  
  
"Gotta go, dad. Bye." Guy said into the phone, and then hung up. He smiled at Bombay. "I don't know why, but I feel like a million bucks."  
  
He broke by Bombay and ran back to the other Ducks, and started running laps with them. Bombay shook his head, shaking out the sentimental stuff, and started tweeting his whistle at them, telling them if they didn't hurry up, he'd add another ten laps.  
  
Guy's fondness for Bombay was forgotten at this time, and he started glaring at him like all the other Ducks.  
  
"He's going crazy." Julie said to Portman, running along.  
  
"No, ya think Cat?" He rolled his eyes. "I thought he was in a FANTASTIC mood. You know, with the fucking whistle blowing and all."  
  
"Just because you're lazy doesn't mean you can take it out on me." Julie snapped at Portman.  
  
"I'll show you lazy." He retorted, and sped off ahead of her, and ahead of all the other ducks. Julie growled, and sped up, very intent on beating Portman. This started in on all the Ducks pride on the line, and they all sped up after the two.  
  
For a moment, Connie was in the lead. Her fitness level was very high, but then again, nearly all the Ducks were incredibly fit and athletic, and soon Guy was way ahead of everyone.  
  
He laughed back at them and stuck out his tongue as he raced ahead.  
  
"JUST YOU WAIT, GERMAINE!" Fulton called out at him. "YOU SUUUUCCCKKK!!!"  
  
"LOSERS!" Guy called back to them, still way ahead. However, it did not catch his attention that no matter how fit he was, Ken was the smallest, fastest and the fittest...  
  
And thus, he cried out in aggravation as Ken passed him easily, and he tried in vain to break out ahead of him. But Ken was going strong, not even sweating, and Guy was starting to pant.  
  
And thus, when the laps were done and Ken ahead of them, untired and looking better than ever, the other guys felt they really wanted to smack this kid, and Julie and Connie were impressed that the small guy could was such a fit athlete!  
  
Which was another reason the guys were mad, of course.  
  
"Wow, Ken. You're really fit." Connie marveled.  
  
"You don't need conditioning at all." Julie agreed.  
  
"'You don't need conditioning at all.'" Portman imitated, his voice going high. Julie elbowed him hard in the stomach.  
  
"You shut up, moron. You're just jealous that Ken's better than you."  
  
"'You shut up, moron. You're just jealous that Ken's better than you.'"  
  
"Stop COPYING me!!"  
  
"'Stop COPYING me!!'"  
  
"CO-OACH!!"  
  
"'CO-OACH!!'"  
  
Everyone watched in monotone silence. "Portman's kinda dumb." Charlie said, and they all nodded. Even Fulton.  
  
However, Guy grinned. There was more to Portman, and he was thankful to the tall 'bash brother' for helping him find Jake. He didn't know how he'd repay him, but he would.  
  
"Leave Gaffney alone, Dean."  
  
"'Leave Gaffney alone, Dean.'"  
  
"DON'T YOU DARE COPY ME, MORON!"  
  
Guy decided saving Portman beatings from Julie and about a million laps courtesy of Bombay would be a good repayment, and he sighed.  
  
  
~~~~~~That Night~~~~~~  
  
Guy yawned as he walked out his bunk room and down the hall towards the pop machine. He didn't know why, but he woke up in the middle of the night with a huge craving for root beer. And he was going to settle that craving, sleep or not.  
  
However, when he reached the pop machine, he felt his heart skip a beat when he saw Connie standing in front of it, tapping her foot.  
  
"Connie?" He said, and she jumped.  
  
"Jesus, Guy! Don't scare me!" She reached down at the slot of the pop machine, and pulled out a root beer. "What're you doing up?"  
  
"Same craving as you." He said, sticking quarters in the slot, and pressing the root beer button. It came tumbling to the bottom, and he took it eagerly.   
  
Connie smiled. "I haven't been alone with you for awhile."  
  
Guy felt himself blush as he took a sip of his root beer. "Yeah, that's true. Sorry. I've-"  
  
"Had things on my mind." Connie finished for him, suddenly not smiling. "Things you wont tell me."  
  
"Connie, I..." Guy sighed, and set his pop on the floor. "I'm sorry. None of it was important. I don't want to waste this time alone with you fighting about how I didn't tell you what was up."  
  
Guy couldn't tell her about Max. Not yet. He wanted to keep it all to himself for now, and he knew Jesse wouldn't tell.  
  
Connie also placed her pop can on the floor, and then looked up at him and bit her lip. "You've gotten taller."  
  
She let the subject go. Thank God. Now Guy was remembering (even though he always knew, of course) why he liked her so much, and wondering how he ever spent time without her. "Yeah, I know. Now Ken is the only guy on the team that's shorter than you."  
  
"I used to be the tallest too." Connie smiled, taking a step closer to him. She smiled. "I still kick your butt on the ice."  
  
"Never happen." He joked. Then he took her hands in his. "I've missed you."  
  
"Me too."   
  
Guy leaned forward, and kissed her softly. She made a little sound against his mouth, and then kissed him back.   
  
It had been too long. Guy didn't know how he went about with her sometimes. But now that everything was getting better, he could be around her more. And...and kiss her more if she wanted.  
  
He pressed his lips more firmly against hers, and finally pulled away after a long time. She was blushing, and smiled. He gave his biggest smile back, and hugged her. She hugged him back and they stayed like that for a long time before breaking apart and heading back to their separate bunks.  
  
  
~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~  
  
Bombay sighed as he stared at the floor, and then looked at the Ducks. "Okay guys, I don't want you leaving your trash around, okay? Now you don't have to tell me who did it, but no more getting pop in the night and leaving it out. Got me?"  
  
The Ducks nodded monotonly, and Bombay decided to the ignore the fact that Guy and Connie were looking at each other, grinning, and nodding too enthusiastically at him for his tastes...  
  
END OF PART 10  
  
(Oooh, romance. I liked this chapter, because Jake's in it. Jake's great, isn't he? However, be prepared that when the D3 part comes, the fic is going to get a bit sadder. And after that surprise Guy does that I told you about at the top, there will be something VERY sad. But don't you people worry. Hope you liked the chapter!) 


	12. The Shirtless Situation

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 11: The Shirtless Situation  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Well it's about damn time, eh!? Sorry it took so long. My Draco Malfoy story entitled 'I'm This Bitch' got me suspended. NO SWEARING ALLOWED IN TITLES. I MUST remember that. I think that's what I got in trouble for anyway. Well, here's part 11. The D2 part should be ending soon. This is for all my kick ass reviewers.)  
  
Oh, and zeroxii, this chapter is dedicated to you for leaving such a nice long review. So I hope you're reading this so you can see how much I appreciate it when people leave long reviews telling me what they like. Yes, D3 Connie was very upsetting to me, and I plan on getting to the bottom of her D3 bitchiness (and her closeness to Ken...)  
  
"I've decided on something."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You know that movie...There's Something About Mary?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Well, there's something about Connie."  
  
"Oh don't tell me YOU-"  
  
"No no no! I mean, she's cute and all, and really cool, and a good friend. But she's not my type. I prefer girls who aren't so intimidating."  
  
"Connie is intimidating?"  
  
"Very."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, she's striking. You look at her and it's like 'WOAH. I have to look AGAIN'. She's really strikingly pretty. Another thing, she could kick my butt out on the ice because she's just as good as me, and another, she's strait forward and honest, and she says whatever's on her mind."  
  
"Well that's true."  
  
"You see, a girl like you is more my speed."  
  
"Oh thanks a lot!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You're saying I'm not attractive, not good at hockey and I'm demure and silent."  
  
"I never said that! You're pretty in a different way then Connie, you're better at different things in hockey, and you speak your mind in a more tactful way-are you listening to me!?"  
  
"Oh forget it! You can be so thick!"  
  
And with that, Julie stomped off and Portman sighed. It was one way to start a day.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Alright!" Bombay said, skating across the ice in a snobby and unappealing manor. "You guys are losing it a bit. I'm seeing plays getting mixed up, and I'm seeing slow skating."  
  
"Except for Mendoza." Averman grinned at Luis. Luis and him chuckled slightly, but shut up when Bombay glared at them.  
  
"This is no joke. We're out here to win and I don't see you guys playing as well as you could."  
  
"Hey, coach. We're giving it our all." Jesse snapped back at him.  
  
"Your all isn't good enough! Iceland is going to slaughter us if we don't get our ass's in gear." Bombay replied. "Now fifteen laps."  
  
"Twelve for us." Goldburg and Julie high fived each other.  
  
"Why should you two get less?" Bombay asked, skating up to them as the rest of the team began the laps.  
  
"Well, you usually give us less because of so much gear. It's hard to move." Goldburg explained.  
  
"I don't care!" Bombay replied. "Get going."  
  
Julie glared at Bombay. "Come on Goldburg." She said as they started skating laps. Goldburg groaned loudly, and they skated slowly after the rest of the team.  
  
"Looks like the cat needs some motivation." Guy said, glancing back at Julie.  
  
"Leave it to me." Portman grinned. "OI! Cat-lady! Can't keep up with the fabulous Portman!?"  
  
"Shut up!!" She snapped, and soon was skating rather fast for someone with a shit load of gear.  
  
Guy skated along dutifully, though he wasn't in a very good mood. He sighed once again. He'd woken up that morning with the feeling of dread and realization that it was his mother's birthday. That meant he had to call her. Now, Guy loved his mother dearly, but now that Max was back, Guy didn't know if he could deal with him, or the way his mother changed whenever he was around. She became weak and pitiful, and it made Guy want to cry.  
  
And Guy didn't like crying.  
  
"Guy!!! You're slowing down! Hurry it up!" Bombay blew his whistle at Guy, and Guy swore as he sped up.  
  
Connie and Jesse looked at each other uneasily as Guy pouted. Jesse guessed it had something to do with Max, whatever Guy's mind was on. But all that was on Connie's mind was that Guy was getting into that mood again. The sad one.  
  
And she kept thinking about how he wouldn't tell her what was wrong. And it was starting to make her angry, even though she knew it shouldn't.  
  
"Hey Cons." Guy said, skating up to her. "Hey Jesse."  
  
"Hey, Germaine." Jesse grinned.  
  
Connie just glanced at Guy, nodded coldly, and skated quickly ahead to catch up with Ken. Guy blinked.  
  
"What's with her?" Guy asked. Jesse shrugged.  
  
"Don't ask me."  
  
"GOD DAMN YOU PORTMAN!!!!!" Julie's screams filled the rink.  
  
"NYAH NYAH! SLOOOOWWW! LOOOSEERRR!" Portman laughed back at her.  
  
"He's going to get killed one of these days..." Guy said monotonely.  
  
"You just noticed?" Adam skated in between them. "He should just leave Julie alone."  
  
"Do I suspect a-" Guy breathed dramatically. "CRUSH?"  
  
Adam rolled his eyes. "You KNOW Portman isn't my type Guy." Adam told him in a high pitched, feminine voice.  
  
"Right sorry."  
  
"How many laps left?" Goldburg panted quite a few paces behind them.  
  
"We have 8." Guy said. "That would make you have 12."  
  
"AAAAHHH!!"  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Guy yawned audibly as he lounged on his bed of his, Ken's and Jesse's bunk rooms. He was trying to pluck up the courage to call his mother-Jake had called earlier that day to remind him.  
  
Guy didn't know how he'd be able to do it, but something inside him forced him to pick up the phone, and dial his home number. Ken on the meanwhile, was yawning much like the Guy had just been, and opened the door quietly believing Guy to be taking a nap. But he wasn't, and Ken shrugged, going un-noticed. He stepped into the washroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, the phone conversation audible from where he was standing. Ken pulled off his shirt, ready to take a shower after cleaning up his face and teeth.  
  
"Laurine Germaine speaking."  
  
"Hey mom." Guy said uneasily.  
  
"Guy!? Oh it's been awhile! You haven't called."  
  
"Well, it IS your birthday." Guy sighed. "So I figured I should call you, abusive son of a bitch step-father or not."  
  
Ken stopped splashing water on his face. Had Guy just said...?  
  
"Guy! Don't talk that way about Max!"  
  
"He's hit you since I've been gone, hasn't he?"  
  
"...."  
  
"I knew it. Mom, you should get that fucker out of your life, or he may kill you."  
  
Ken's eyes widened.   
  
"He wont KILL me, Guy. He loves me! Some birthday greeting THIS is to your mother!"  
  
"Mom!! I'm calling you because I love you, and I want to keep you away from that asshole."  
  
"Guy, you take that back!"  
  
"No! Mom, you don't even-Mom? Mom!? God DAMNIT!" Guy slammed the phone down on the receiver. "God fucking DAMNIT, she hung up on me. Why does this always happen? What the HELL is wrong with me?!"  
  
Ken couldn't believe what he just heard. Guy's mother was beaten up? By Guy's father?  
  
"God, I need a shower." Guy said from the room. Ken panicked, and rushed around the washroom, trying to look for a place to hide. He decided on the bathtub, which was stupid considering Guy wanted a shower.  
  
Guy stepped in, and pulled off his shirt and was about to splash water on his face to relieve the stress he felt, but he caught sight of something behind the shower curtain...  
  
He pulled it sideways, and Ken was standing there, shirtless, and looking uncomfortable and guilty. Guy was confused for a few moments, and then realization sunk in.  
  
"Oh God, you heard." Guy said. It was a statement, not a question. "Oh shit."  
  
"I'm sorry!" Ken blurted. "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to!"  
  
"Oh fuck oh fuck." Guy babbled, and he left the washroom. Ken was uneasy, but he soon followed him, and saw Guy sitting on his bed, his head in his hands.  
  
"Guy?" Ken said. He sat down beside him. "Guy, do you...do you need to talk?"  
  
"I don't know..." Guy mumbled. "I don't know..."  
  
"Your dad beats your mother?"  
  
"Not my real dad. My step dad beats her. My real dad is the most kick ass guy in the world." Guy looked up, sniffling. "Don't know why she didn't marry him instead. God, I'm acting like a pussy."  
  
"Don't be a moron. No you're not."  
  
"Jesse is the only one that knows." Guy said. "I don't like talking about this."  
  
"Connie doesn't know?"  
  
"No way." Guy exclaimed. "There's no way I could tell Connie!"  
  
Ken raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"  
  
"Because she...I don't want her to know about what happens in my house. I don't want her to know I'm just this pathetic kid who doesn't know how to take care of his mother."  
  
Ken set his hands on Guy's shoulders. "Guy, look at me." Guy glanced at Ken. "I know we just met and all, but all you care about is others. Think about yourself for once. Stop thinking about how everything you do is wrong. It's not. So stop being an idiot."  
  
Guy laughed slightly. "Thanks Ken."  
  
Unfortunately for the two shirtless males, Julie, Connie, Portman and Charlie were about to enter their room and ask them if they were coming along for the movie that all the Ducks were going to see.   
  
They came inside to reveal, Guy and Ken, both shirtless, Ken's hands on Guy's shoulders, and both of them smiling at each other.  
  
The four other ducks did the only thing they could think of.   
  
They screamed.  
  
"OH MY GOOOOODDD!!!!" Portman yelled.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Charlie and Julie followed.  
  
"GUY WHAT THE HELL-" Connie started. Guy looked up at Connie, then quickly back at Ken, then at Ken's hands on his shoulders.   
  
"No NO! Guys! This is NOT what it looks like!!" Guy insisted. Ken grinned evilly.  
  
"Why Guy, what are you talking about?" He placed his hands on top of Guy's. "Of course it is."  
  
Guy yelped and jumped up. "Don't you even JOKE about that!! "  
  
"Oh...my...God..." Connie backed away, and then bolted out of the room.  
  
"No! Connie wait! It's not what it looks like, I swear!!!" Guy ran out, following her. Julie, Portman and Charlie all looked at Ken, who had his legs crossed and his hands folded neatly on his knees.  
  
"Oh you're EVIL." Charlie shook his head.  
  
"Thanks." Ken grinned.  
  
END OF PART 11.  
  
(This part wasn't too long, and it got pretty sappy. I love the beginning with Portman and Julie, and I love the ending. Heehee, Poor Guy.) 


	13. Real Sweet, Gosh Gee

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 12: Real Sweet, Gosh Gee  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Ooooh, part 12. This is the last part of D2. Campfire scene at the end...something to look forward too, and not just for Guy and Connie reasons. Oh and reviewers-thank you to you all, I would love it if you could all name some musicals you think Guy should be in and what part to play in your review, because I have to begin writing parts in advance because of exams, and I would love it if you helped me make the choice. I'll give credit to whoever I decided on's musical and part. THANKS!!)  
  
Guy banged his head angrily against the boards. Last game-LAST GAME. And here he was torn between acting like a doofus like the other ducks, or actually trying to play. He didn't want Jake to be watching and thinking 'Dear God, my son is a moron! I should turn this off and never ever ever ever ever talk to him again!'  
  
Guy exaggerated when he was stressed.  
  
"Connie, go out for Jesse." Bombay said, pointing exuberantly. Connie nodded, and thrust on her helmet. Guy caught her arm.  
  
"Good luck Cons." He winked at her. She looked at him a moment, as if torn between winking back or...  
  
Or taking her arm back and ignoring him, which is what she did. Guy was stunned, and didn't hear Charlie tell her to be careful. Connie skated out onto the ice, and instead of taking the puck up and scoring (like she almost always did), she was soon in a crumpled heap on the ice.  
  
"CONNIE!" Guy called out as the Iceland player gave a high five to his friend.   
  
"You just checked a GIRL into the BOARDS, ASS!!!" Portman screamed from the penalty box.  
  
Guy bit his lip as he watched Connie pull herself up, and keep playing, but she was soon checked into the boards once again. Guy knew he couldn't go out and help her-the last time he defended her way back in the fifth grade, she'd been angry, telling him not to go easy on her because she was a girl.  
  
But as the huge Iceland player started skating towards Connie, fast, Guy began to jump onto the ice-until he saw Dwayne.  
  
Dwayne was already out on the ice, lasso and all. He swung the lasso expertly, and threw it 'round the Iceland player, pulling him back violently onto the ice...  
  
...all the while shouting "I'm comin' Connie!"  
  
Guy gripped the board angrily and glared at Dwayne. As if Connie being angry with him wasn't enough...now Dwayne had to go and be a god damn gentleman.  
  
"Guy?" Charlie said, as he stuck on his helmet, ready to go out. Guy glared at him, and Charlie shut up, giving Ken next to him a knowing look.  
  
Thus, the game continued, and not once did Connie talk to him, or listen to him. Even we he'd asked her if she was alright.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"This is boring." Portman groaned. "I hate shoot outs."  
  
"They're not so bad." Guy grinned at him. Portman rolled his eyes.  
  
"You just got a goal, of course they're not to YOU. I HATE them."  
  
The two were sitting the players box with the other players, as Julie prepared to go out on the ice. She raised an eyebrow at the two of them. "That's it?" She pouted. "You hate shoot outs even though you're about to see me in all my goalie glory?"  
  
Guy smiled at her. "Good luck, Cat-lady. You'll be fine."  
  
"Your hands are shaking-you don't think I can do it, do you?" She asked, not in an accusing way. Just a way with fact.  
  
"No, I think you can." Guy told her. "I'm just scared there will be some kind of insane fluke and you wont."  
  
"I think we all are." Julie said, about to put her helmet on, but Portman grabbed it from her.  
  
"Gaffney, get going!" Bombay snapped. Though he was back to the old Bombay again, he was still insane during games, just like he'd always been.   
  
"Let go of my helmet." Julie snapped at Portman, pulling it. But Portman grabbed her around the waist with his other arm, and simply kissed her on the forehead. He pulled back, stuck the helmet on her head and grinned at her.  
  
"Win it for us, Julie."  
  
Julie was blushing scarlet, which was visible even with the helmet on, but she smiled and said "I will."  
  
She went out onto the ice, and prepared in net as the Iceland player came out, looking gruff and confidant.  
  
"What was THAT?" Fulton asked Portman, standing next to him. Portman shrugged. "I HIGHLY doubt that was nothing."  
  
"I didn't say it was nothing. I'm just not telling-Guy never tells us about him and Connie, does he?"  
  
"Yeah-" Guy started, but Connie had over heard.  
  
"There's nothing to tell." She said coldly, and thus started talking to Bombay, who pretended not to hear the previous comment that she told them. Bombay didn't want to get involved with the romantic issues of Guy and Connie.  
  
I don't really think ANYONE did.  
  
Portman and Fulton looked at Guy, their faces in a wincing expression. "That one must have hurt." Portman said.  
  
"She mad at you? What'd you do?" Fulton asked. Guy swore, and stuck his head in his hands, shaking his head.  
  
"I have NO idea."  
  
"AAHH!!! HE'S SHOOTING! WATCH WATCH!!!" Russ screamed, whacking Portman and Fulton on the head. They grinned at him, as the Iceland player prepared for his shot. Julie went into stance, watching him intently, and Guy noticed that Portman was clutching the boards tightly, and biting his lip. Guy swatted Portmans' shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry about Cat-lady." Guy grinned. "She'll be fine."  
  
"I'm not-" Portman started, but Charlie shushed them. The shot was taken and as Julie struck into position, the whole arena seemed to hold their breath. Julie turned her head, and then gently tossed the puck to the ice.   
  
Their was silence a moment, until everyone realized Julie had saved the shot. Portman was the first to cheer as he jumped out of the box and skated towards Julie as she gave the Iceland player a 'nice try' pat on the back.  
  
Portman seized her in his arms, and swung her around (an amazing feat considering her goalie padding) and all the Ducks slammed into each other for a group hug, then they all turned and jumped on Bombay-who was laughing.  
  
All the while, Guy laughed as they all went around swatting each others heads and hugging, and he caught Connie's eyes shortly after Portman had given Connie a bear hug, and Charlie rubbed the top of her helmet. They gazed at each other a moment, and then Guy breathed in relief as she gave him her brilliant smile, which he returned. He skated towards her, and for the second time of a championship game, they kissed each other firmly-in public.  
  
Luis and Dwayne saw this, and both sighed audibly. "Ah well," Luis said, shrugging. "I'll survive. Connie's Guys' girl anyway. Girls definitely aren't everything." Luis looked at the cowboy. "Eh, Dwayne?"  
  
Luis thus let Connie go (and considering he's not a raving PERVERT like people so like to write him as, I think this is very believable), and chest checked with Jesse. Dwayne however, didn't take it as well, and thus Ken and Adam got all the rope and throwable objects away from his general vicinity. Adam also decided that Ken was small enough to be a throwable object, so they kept him a good distance away from Dwayne as well (which was good 'cause Fulton and Charlie SWORE they saw Dwayne eye the former figure skater dangerously.)  
  
And thus, the Ducks had won again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Oh, this is a LOVELY get up, isn't it?"  
  
Guy and Portman snorted and laughed as Julie tried in vain to set up the campfire the Ducks had planned for that night. Ken and Connie were due to show up and help at any moment. Portman and Guy supposed that they should help Julie set up- but it was far too amusing to see her make an idiot of herself. Julie didn't do that often.  
  
Julie screamed -a full blown un-Julie and Connie-ish girly scream- as the fire pit burst into flame, and raced behind Portman, who was killing himself laughing alongside of Guy.  
  
"Don't tell me this lugs' made ya HELPLESS Julie!"  
  
Guy felt his heart thump as he turned 'round and Connie, followed by Ken and Jesse came into view.  
  
"Jess!" Guy said. "Didn't know you were coming."  
  
"Connie dragged me over." Jesse grinned.  
  
"Here, Jules." Connie said. "You do it like THIS."  
  
Connie prepared to show the Cat-lady how to douse a friggen raging fire, and then make a proper one. Ken shook his head. "It's funny, isn't it?"  
  
"What's that?" Guy asked.  
  
"Out of all the girls who play hockey, we get the most beautiful ones."  
  
Connie and Julie both smiled at Ken then, and the others rolled their eyes, and Portman sharply elbowed the boy in the stomach as Jesse flicked the side of his head.  
  
"You could learn a few things from Ken, Guy." Connie suddenly said, looking at him in a jokingly stern way. Guy stuck his tongue out at her.  
  
"And be a romantic loser? No thanks."  
  
"I'm no loser." Ken retorted. "Girls think I'm cute-like Snoopy."  
  
"They do not!" Jesse exclaimed.   
  
"We do so!" Julie retorted. "Ken IS cute like snoopy."  
  
The girls went back to the fire as Ken made faces at the others once more. "See? I AM."  
  
"What you are, is stupid." Portman pouted. "And dumb."  
  
"That's how to impress Cat-lady, Portman." Jesse said sarcastically, then grinned at Guy.  
  
"Oh yeah, show her your lovely vocab skills. 'You're a dumb dumb, Ken! You're a MEANY.'"  
  
"I'm not trying to impress no bratty CAT-LADY!!" Portman exclaimed, blushing furiously. Julie growled and kicked him from her spot on the dirt, and Portman swore angrily as he hopped about on one foot, clutching his shin with his hands. "See!!?? She's friggin inSANE!"  
  
"Oh shut up!!!" Julie chucked a rock at him angrily, and Portman caught it in his left hand easily.  
  
"HAH! See that catch? I could kick your ASS!!"  
  
"Not MINE."  
  
Connie was the first to turn and greet Goldburg and Averman, who had just arrived. "Hiya, Con-meister."  
  
"Heya, dork." Connie said this so affectionately, and in such an Averman/Connie inside joke way, that Guy felt very jealous. Thus, he walked behind Connie and knelt down to wrap his arms around her. Connie turned to look at him, and rolled her eyes while smiling. "Hi, idiot."  
  
"Hi, stupid." He replied.  
  
"You two are WEIRD." Goldburg shook his head. "Hey, that fire' s looking pretty good. Adam is bringing the marshmallows."  
  
"Good idea to keep them from YOU." Jesse grinned.  
  
"Hah HAH." Goldburg replied. "Hey, Jess, why isn't Russ with you?"  
  
Jesse shrugged. "I thought he was coming with you guy."  
  
"Actually." Portman said, while poking Julie's stomach and tugging on her braid. "I think Russ feels a bit out of place. I mean he just joined the Ducks."  
  
"Yeah, I know I'd feel like that if I was just stuck with all of you." Averman said.  
  
"Hey, I've known you guys forever and I STILL fill like that." Guy grinned, and Connie elbowed him.  
  
Slowly, the other Ducks began to show up (Russ came with Fulton, and Julie and Connie sat with him at the beginning to make him feel more confidant. It had been Ken's idea- the manipulative little skater.)   
  
Soon however, after Bombay came, and after they all screamed 'We Are The Champions for hours, Bombay declared he was attempting to have a nap, so they better 'God damn keep it down'. Everyone laughed- Bombay was back to his old self.  
  
Connie continued sitting next to Guy, and tentivly snuggled in closer to him. Portman and Julie also started their slight version of a cuddle (which was him poking her, and her hitting him on the hand, and him grabbing her hand to stop her from doing so, and to make a long story short, they ended up holding hands) and both glared at the other Ducks, DARING them to say anything about the hand holding.  
  
Fulton however had authority to keep throwing a hacky sack at Portman every once and while, who often did a snazzy pass back.   
  
"This was a great season." Luis suddenly said.   
  
"No kidding!" Charlie agreed.  
  
"We WON." Averman added.  
  
"Not just that, I mean over all." Luis continued. "Besides the hockey."  
  
"I know what you mean." Adam broke in. "With all the Ducks here. I mean, since some of the original players are gone, I really thought..."  
  
"That this would suck." Jesse finished for him.  
  
"And even though it's not always the same without Peter and those guys..." Connie mumbled into Guy's arm, which she was holding protectively.  
  
"I'm glad you guys let us in as the Ducks so quickly." Portman said.  
  
"Yeah." Dwayne added. "I was worried that no one would let me be Dwayne on a team- I already have a hard enough time being Dwayne back home."  
  
"You all rock." Russ said bluntly, and that spoke for all of them. "Really. But don't expect me to go easy on you wussys."  
  
"Yes SIR."  
  
Thus, with Connie and Guy snuggling, Julie and Portman holding hands and pretending they weren't, and for once no fighting over a girl or any other type of thing, they all were quiet to just enjoy the fact that they needed each other, and from now on, the Ducks couldn't separate. They were family now.  
  
Bombay, (who lets admit, you never thought he was sleeping) grinned as he heard his players, and glanced up. "Aw GOSH gee, that was REAL sweet kids,"  
  
"Shut up, Bombay."  
  
END PART 12  
  
(PLEASE READ THIS NOTE!! I loved this part. It was fun. As for why Connie forgave Guy like that, this is a briefing. Connie was mad because something was bugging Guy again, and he still didn't tell her. She was hurt. But lets face it, they won, they were happy, she let it go. But that doesn't mean the issue is. Also, I dedicate this chapter to Luis Mendoza. Because people always write him as a Connie obsessed pervert, and he wasn't. He had a crush, but he was no jerk. And when some people write him nice, they make Connie sound like a slut. All I'm saying is, I don't hate ANY of the Ducks. The one I LEAST like is Dwayne, and I adore him. I adore all the Ducks. I'm just curious as to why people feel the need to hate any of them. They all get along pretty well, they've all been together so long. They need each other. So how about we all try as fans, to get along and not hate any duck, or make any ducks really hate each other. Or maybe I should shut up and let people write how they want. ^_^ Sorry, I'm a friggen peace maker. Even though I have a temper. All in all, why hate any of the Ducks? We LOVE them! Why else would we be reading about them!?  
  
Oh yeah, and has anyone ELSE noticed that Connie is FRIGGEN short in D3. Dear GOD. Oh yes, and Ken's hair falls VEEERRYY nicely in his face. And Guy has a great smile.  
  
Portman's arrrmmmss....mmmmmm.) 


	14. I Know How You Feel

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 12b: I Know How You Feel  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Lookie, Funkiechick wrote a bonus add-on to part 12. That means you all got part 12, 12b, 13 and 13b! I wrote this after I finished up 12 completely, and I decided it needed a special spot of it's own. Who knows, I may write more add-ons. I wanna keep this fic going. By the way, I LOVE Portman/Julie. Will someone PLEASE write a fic about them? Anyway, this 12b is based when Portman was kicked out of the Germany game- I think it was Germany...- during D2, and when Julie was kicked out for her classic 'I'm sorry boys, but could you help me with my pads please?'.)  
  
"I know how you feel."  
  
Portman raised an eyebrow at her, and then stopped beating at the table. He was slightly embarrassed that she'd caught him losing his cool like that. And now he was frustrated that he was embarrassed. But then again, Julie was making him feel and do a lot of things he usually didn't feel and do.  
  
Julie pulled off the top of her gear so she was just in the long sleeve black top, and then her skates as she sat down on the benches. She sighed and hung her head. Portman bit his lip, and sat down next to her.  
  
"What happened?" He asked. Julie glanced up at him.  
  
"Didn't you see? On the TV?"  
  
"Nah." Portman shook his head. "I couldn't watch. It just made me more pissed off."  
  
"These two Iceland guys were going on about how Bombay sent me out to do a Man's Job, and calling me a little girl." She smiled then. "Then I asked if they would 'help me with my pads' and then decked 'em when they bent."  
  
"Ah, using your feminine wiles." Portman grinned. Julie shook her head again.  
  
"It doesn't matter though. No matter how proud I was that I made those two look like idiots, Bombay probably wont send me out for the rest of the season." Julie looked down at the floor. "I don't think I'll EVER get to show ANYONE what I can do. I don't even think Bombay knows."  
  
"Who cares about THEM?" Portman said quickly. "I mean, I know what you can do! The team knows. That's what matters, Cat-lady. Stop moping."  
  
"I AM allowed to mope you know!!" Julie snapped, standing up. "What IS it with you guys and freaking out whenever me and Connie-"  
  
"Act like girls!" Portman interrupted. "Because you're hockey players!"  
  
"We're still human!" Julie retorted. "We FEEL things! We get upset. Just a minute ago you were slamming your fists on the table! I suppose YOU can-"  
  
"Settle down!" Portman took hold of her shoulders and sat her down. "I get the point. I'm just saying we're not used to it!" Portman shook his head. "God, talk about bad temper."  
  
"Oh shut up! I've already been kicked out of the only game I'll play! I don't need to be sunk any lower, thank you very much."  
  
They were silent then, Julie looking down at her hands and biting her lip. Portman sighed. He really hoped she wasn't gonna cry...he REALLY hoped.  
  
"How does Connie DO it?" Julie suddenly sniffed. "Deal with THAT?"  
  
Portman looked at the TV to see Connie take a hit from a German player, get right back up, shove him into the boards, and keep going. Bombay didn't even blink.  
  
"He's used to it. He sends her out." Julie shook her head. "As he should, 'cause Connie's great! But so am I, damnit!!"  
  
"We know that, Jules." Portman said. "We know, and so does Bombay. But you know as well as I do that he's acting weird. Hell, Ken's played for a total of five minutes in the last three games. Bombay doesn't send him out either."  
  
"That's dumb." Julie sniffed. "He should replace Dwayne with Ken. I mean, I like Dwayne, and he IS good." Julie assured Portman. "But he's getting cocky. He isn't passing the puck to anyone but Connie. And he doesn't even do THAT much. Bombay needs to take him out to shrink his ego."  
  
"Man." Portman sighed. "What I wouldn't give to see full on what the real Bombay was like, with the original Ducks."  
  
"They all go way back, huh?" Julie said. "Connie, Averman, Charlie, Goldburg, Fulton, Adam-"  
  
"Jesse and Guy."  
  
"Yeah." Julie looked puzzled. "What's wrong with Guy, by the way? He seems down."  
  
"Guy doesn't talk about his problems, so I don't know." Portman nodded. "But I've noticed what you mean."  
  
"I suppose that's why Connie's mad."  
  
"Connie's mad. Yeah, I noticed that too."  
  
They were silent, and then Portman glanced at her. "Are you mad at me?" He asked suddenly. Julie looked startled.  
  
"No! Why?"  
  
"Because I always pick on you."  
  
Julie looked about to say something, then she shook her hand and looked down at her hands. "I like it when you do. I like you paying attention to me."  
  
Portman's eyes widened, and Julie slapped her hand to her mouth. "You WHAT?!" Portman spluttered.  
  
"Nothing, I didn't SAY anything!!" Julie snapped. "Nothing."  
  
"Oh HO." Portman grinned. "What's this? Julie the cat has a CRUSH on the WONDERFUL Dean Portman?"  
  
"Oh shut up." Julie mumbled, looking away. Portman tried to make her face him, but to no avail. He sighed, and then looked at her again.  
  
"If it's any consolation, I have a crush on you too."  
  
Julie looked at him, blushing. She smiled however, and laughed softly. "Really?"  
  
Portman shrugged, and nodded. "Wasn't I obvious?"  
  
"You're a moron." Julie said bluntly. "A complete moron."  
  
"Yeah well, so are you." Portman leaned back against the lockers. "A babe, but a moron."  
  
"I suppose we're supposed to kiss now."  
  
"Guess so."  
  
"Well I'M not starting it!" Julie told him. "I admitted the crush first."  
  
"No you didn't!" Portman argued. "You-"  
  
"Lalalalala I'm not LISTENING."  
  
"God you're a brat!"  
  
They were silent for a while more, until Portman leaned over and kissed her mouth firm, but quickly. He pulled back and leaned against the lockers again. "Happy?" He said, blushing.  
  
"Very." She replied, leaning against the lockers with him, both still sitting on the bench at the same time.  
  
"You're supposed to reach for my HAND now." Portman said, as if talking to a one-year old."  
  
"No! You-"  
  
"I kissed you."  
  
Julie sighed and took his hand. "I don't know what I see in you. Why couldn't I like a nice guy like Guy? Connie has good taste, but do I?! Nooooooo."  
  
"You know you love me." Portman joked. They looked at each other, and for some reason the moment turned more serious and romantic. They leaned forward once more, and-  
  
The Ducks burst through the door, and in a flash, Portman and Julie were on opposite sides of the change room.  
  
"I wasn't doing anything!!!!" Portman exclaimed, holding his hands up in defense.  
  
"Neither was I!!!!" Julie added.  
  
Everyone looked at them disbelievingly. "What, don't believe me!?" Portman asked. "As if I would ever put the moves on HER."  
  
"What is THAT supposed to mean!?" Julie snapped.  
  
"Hey, I just-"  
  
"Shut up Portman!!"  
  
Everyone winced as they ignored the tension between Julie and Portman as they began to change and get ready for showers.  
  
"Honestly, girls make no sense." Portman mumbled angrily. Guy patted his shoulder.  
  
"I know how you feel." He said, as Connie glowered at him from her spot on the bench.  
  
END OF PART 12B  
  
(I liked it. It says 'Funkiechick, you rock.' To me.) 


	15. The Odd Suspicion That Life Is Changing

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 13: The Odd Suspicion That Life Is Changing  
By Funkiechick  
  
(D3 wont be for another few chapters. Because they were all like...twelve in d2 or something. So this is the period of time before they go to Eden Hall. As for Guy and Connie, the 'fight' is going to happen in the next part, or the part after that. 14 or 15. 13b is a flashback. From here on, Guy's life is going to be pretty sad and pretty hard. I'm debating on whether to do something or not later, it's a hard decision. But I think I will. You'll all just have to wait and see. ^_~ Enjoy.)  
  
Guy bit his lip as he knocked warily on the door labeled 432, Jake Russleson Germaine. This was it. He was spending the summer with his father. Finally. He sighed, and looked around nervously. Portman- who was standing behind him- patted him forcefully on the back.  
  
"Don't worry, Germaine. Jake's the best."  
  
"Yeah yeah, I know." Guy mumbled. "I know."  
  
Suddenly they heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and then it opened. The man standing there was tall, with Guy's hair.  
  
'And my eyes...' Guy thought, as he saw the immense similarity. Portman rushed forward.  
  
"Jake!! You son of a bitch! How ya doin'?" Portman took Jake 'round the middle and hugged him (more like crushed, Guy decided) and then smiled. 'I have dad's smile too...'  
  
"Portman, you are such an attention craving brat." Jake grinned. Portman let go of him then, and stepped to the side so Jake could see Guy. Both of them were silent. Guy looked down at the ground, and then back up.  
  
"Hey dad."  
  
"Hey Guy."  
  
And then they hugged, Guy breathing him in, and Portman looked away from the sentimental moment. When they released each other, Jake was grinning ear to ear, and so was Guy.  
  
'God they look alike...' Portman thought. But he took their moment of silence for granted.  
  
"Well, lets go eat. I mean, that's what I'M here for."  
  
"Because the world revolves around you, doesn't it Portman?" Jake said sarcastically.  
  
"Well duh." Portman retorted.  
  
"Where as Portman's world revolves around Julie." Guy said innocently. Portman glared at him.  
  
"Guy, shut up."  
  
"I guess I have to take you kids out to eat or something." Jake grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I only have shreddies inside."  
  
"You're paying." Portman told him.  
  
"You're too kind, Portman. What manners." Guy said.  
  
Jake grinned again, and then locked up his apartment as they left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Connie yawned audibly as she pulled herself out of bed. Julie was already getting dressed, and Connie groaned.  
  
"How do you get up so early?" Connie mumbled.  
  
"Alarm clock." Julie told her. "Like I could ever get up by myself. So how do you like it so far?"  
  
Julie had invited Connie to stay with her during the summer holidays, and Connie had happily accepted. The two were becoming good friends very quickly, but Connie couldn't help but marvel at how well Julie lived, yet how unspoiled she was.  
  
"Your house is SO different than mine." Connie said, looking around. Julie grinned.  
  
"Is that an insult or a compliment?"  
  
"Compliment. Or comment, which ever works." Connie answered. "My house is puny."  
  
"Didn't you grow up in the same neighborhood with Guy, Averman, Goldburg, Charlie and Jesse?"  
  
"Actually, I lived closest to Fulton. He was right next door. We used to play Knight's together. Sir Fulton and Sir Connie."  
  
Julie laughed. "I can just picture little Fulton with a stick as his sword."  
  
"My mom took a picture of us." Connie smiled. "Blackmail."  
  
"Ah yes. I have lots of those. Did you know that Charlie sings in his sleep?"  
  
Connie stared. "He DOES?!"  
  
"Uh huh." Julie grinned. "And Jesse falls off the bed, and Dwayne snores really loud. Portman and I were sneaking around playing tricks on everyone and taking pictures of 'em and recording Charlie singing."  
  
Connie burst out laughing. "Oh my GOD, you're not serious!?"  
  
"We can listen to it later."  
  
"That's just hilarious."  
  
Suddenly Julie's mother, downstairs, called for them to get a move on, and that breakfast was ready.  
  
"I'll get dressed then. Wait for me."  
  
"Okay."  
  
As Connie grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a gray T-shirt that read 'Junior Goodwill Games' on the front and 'Minor League Hockey' on the back. She quickly braided her waist length dark hair, and stretched.  
  
"I need to brush my teeth, give me a minute."  
  
Julie nodded as Connie went to bathroom and began brushing her teeth. Julie yawned, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Julie really liked Connie. In fact, she was probably one of the best friends that Julie had ever had, that was a girl.   
  
Julie and Connie were alike in many ways, but mostly different. They both preferred a boys company to a girls, since the both of them were tomboys and hockey players. But Connie had a temper, and Julie would tend to not let her anger show. That's just the way she was.  
  
Connie also had a lot of pride. She did not like to be made a fool of. Or being underestimated because she was a girl.  
  
'She's a fantastic hockey player.' Julie thought. 'I wonder if she'll go all the way. I wonder if I'll go all the way...'  
  
Connie came out of the washroom then, and smiled. "Well, I'm hungry. How about you?"  
  
"Famished."  
  
And they both set off down the stairs to the kitchen.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jesse pulled on a sweatshirt and a pair of long shorts as he and Terry prepared to go roller blading. Jesse had missed Terry- a lot. Why he quit hockey was beyond Jesse.  
  
But then again, now Jesse sort of knew where he was coming from. Jesse had gotten a tip from Bombay- they were all getting scholarships to Eden Hall. Charlie was the only other one that knew so far.   
  
But that was a heavy sports school. And Jesse realized that this was determining if he was going to play hockey the rest of his life, and all during high school. In other words, it would be Jesse's life. And did he really want his life to be hockey?  
  
"Hey, you comin'?" Terry asked, poking his head inside of Jesse's room. "I wanna get going."  
  
"Yeah yeah." Jesse followed him, and slung his roller blades over his shoulder until they were outside, where they pulled them on. Jesse glanced at his brother, who had grown a lot during the time Jesse was in LA.   
  
"Something on your mind?" Terry asked, as they started off down the street. Jesse nodded.  
  
"Terry, when did you know you didn't want to go all the way with hockey?"  
  
"Well..." Terry started, not looking surprised. "I suppose it started when I couldn't picture myself playing hockey seriously. I mean, I loved being a Duck, but once we were getting so serious about it, I didn't think I wanted to do it anymore. I just wanted to have pure fun, and when you're on a serious team, it takes work too. I didn't want that with hockey."  
  
Jesse bit his lip. "You mean like, it was never a career thing with you?"  
  
"Sort of." Terry said. "I just loved doing it, but not seriously. I don't have what it takes to seriously consider being a hockey player." Terry raised an eyebrow at him as they skated. "Why? You considering quitting the Ducks?"  
  
"I'll never NOT be a Duck. Same with you." Jesse sighed. "But I...I don't WANT to be a hockey player. Not in the NHL anyways. To tell you the truth..." Jesse turned around and began rollerblading backwards. "I'm not sure I ever really wanted to be. But it was fun, I was with friends. And I'm good at it." He shook his head. "But I don't know, I feel like I'm defining more of who I am now. And NHL hockey is not who I am."  
  
Terry skated round in a circle before replying, and they continued on. "Well, Jess." Terry said. "I'm your brother. Whatever happens I'll be behind you, taking your kicks." Terry smiled. "I don't like it when you get kicked around, so that'll be my job."  
  
Jesse smiled back. "Yeah." He nodded. "Thanks, Terry. I missed you, you know."  
  
"Yeah. Me too."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You are SO embarrassing." Guy groaned as Portman winked at a passing by waitress.  
  
"I am NOT. I'm SUAVE."  
  
"Stop embarrassing Guy, Portman." Jake said, looking over his menu. "I'm getting a club sandwich." He glanced at his son. "How 'bout you?"  
  
"Same thing."  
  
Portman raised an eyebrow, and suddenly felt as if he was just in the way. Shouldn't Guy and his dad just be spending time together?  
  
But Portman also knew they were being quite awkward. They didn't know what to say now that they were together. Portman sighed audibly.  
  
"What's with you?" Guy asked.  
  
"Nothing, just-"  
  
"Missing JULIE?"  
  
"You know, Germaine? You should SHUT UP. Or else I'll tell Connie that whole shirtless thing with you and Ken was EXACTLY WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE!"  
  
"You WOULDN'T."  
  
"I WOULD."  
  
"It WASN'T."  
  
"That's what they AAALLL say!"  
  
"Who are these Julie and Connie girls you keep talking about?" Jake asked. Portman glanced at Guy.  
  
"Don't you have pictures of all of us in your wallet?" Portman asked.  
  
"Yeah." Guy nodded, and fished his wallet out of his jeans, handing it to Jake. Jake flipped it open, looked through, and then pulled out a wad of small photo-booth pictures.  
  
"The names are on the back." Guy told him.  
  
Jake nodded, looking at the first picture. He flipped it over to see the name. "Goldburg. Goalie?"  
  
"One of 'em."  
  
Jake continued. "Charlie 'Spazway'. Need I ask?"  
  
"Not really." Guy laughed, and Portman grinned.  
  
"Jess-man. You've mentioned him."  
  
"He's one of my best friends." Guy said. "So I guess I should."  
  
"Here's Portman. You look like an idiot." Guy burst out laughing then, and Portman glared at them both.  
  
"I think you should move on to the NEXT picture." Portman told them both. Jake obeyed, still laughing with Guy.  
  
"Averman." Jake read out. The picture had Averman smushing his face against the camera taking machine in the photo booth. "Looks like a winner."  
  
"That guy is fucking hilarious." Portman said.  
  
"No shit!" Guy laughed.  
  
"Wu-man. Heeeyy, that's the figure skating kid. He nice?"  
  
"He's our little man." Portman replied.  
  
"We all look out for Kenny." Guy agreed. "He's nice."  
  
"Cat-Lady." Jake read, then looked at the picture and grinned. "Ah. I see."  
  
"What's THAT mean?" Portman snapped.  
  
"Now do you know what I mean?" Guy asked. "Why I bug the hell out of him?"  
  
"Yeah. Very much so."  
  
"What the hell are you two TALKING about!?" Portman demanded.  
  
"She's pretty." Jake nodded.  
  
"She's HOT." Portman corrected. "And she's MINE."  
  
"You didn't tell me Portman had a girlfriend." Jake said to Guy, who was rolling his eyes.  
  
"I don't."  
  
"He doesn't." Guy said after Portman. "They're unofficial."  
  
"We're not anything." Portman snapped.  
  
"But..but you just said she was-"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Jake sighed, and went to the next picture. "Cake Eater?"  
  
"Adam!" Guy and Portman both exclaimed. "He's out rich boy." Portman continued.  
  
"He's actually pretty cool. Just quiet." Guy agreed.  
  
"Mendoza Miami." Jake read. "His name is Miami?"  
  
"No, it's Luis. But he's from Miami." Guy said.  
  
"And he's the fastest fucking skater I've ever seen." Portman added. Jake raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"YOU'RE swearing your ass of today."  
  
Portman grinned. "Yeah, I know."  
  
"Knuckle-Puck." Jake went on. "Ah yes, Russ. You've talked about him too." Jake said to Guy. He went to the next photo. "Bash Bro 2."  
  
"He's my partner in crime!" Portman exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, we gathered." Guy said monotonly.  
  
"Cowboy." Jake read. "Yeah, I understand the nickname. This the one who has a crush on Connie?"  
  
"He sure as hell does." Guy mumbled.  
  
"It's hilarious." Portman added.  
  
"Con-Meister." Jake said, then looked at the picture. "Woah."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Portman agreed. "Isn't she?"  
  
"Very." Jake nodded. "Very much so."  
  
"What?" Guy asked.   
  
"She's very pretty." Jake said.  
  
"She's HOT."  
  
At this point, both Jake and Guy looked at Portman like he was the largest moron in the world. "You know, I wonder why Julie likes you so much." Jake said.  
  
"Hey, I'm around them all the time, and even I don't know." Guy told Jake. Portman glared at the both of them.  
  
"The HAT." Jake read at the back of Guy's picture. "What hat?"  
  
"The one he's wearing in the picture. LOOK at it!" Portman said. "It's stupid!"  
  
"It is NOT." Guy flushed. "Leave my hat alone!"  
  
"That's MY hat." Jake said. "I had that when I was a kid. You like that?" Jake asked Guy. "When I was kid, I was the only one that did. Everyone made fun of it."  
  
"I love it." Guy said. "I mean, for a hat. It's okay, I mean...yah."  
  
Portman watched once more as Guy and Jake seemed to share that small moment of sentimentality between the two of them, and Portman suddenly really felt the need to be the center of attention...  
  
"Guy gropes Connie's butt."  
  
Guy stared at Portman, a look of horror on his face, and Jake stared back, in an astonished, but interested sort of way. "Oh REAAALLLYY?" Jake asked.  
  
"Yeah. He does it a lot."  
  
"I DO NOT!!!"  
  
"Do too."  
  
"DO NOT!!"  
  
"Do too."  
  
"Yeah, well YOU grope at Julie a lot more than I grope at Connie!"  
  
"Oh shut UP!"  
  
Luckily the waitress came along then, and Jake quickly gave her the orders of the boys. The subject was dropped, but Portman did many other similar things because as we all know, Portman loves being the center of attention.  
  
Meanwhile, in Maine, Julie and Connie had this odd suspicion that they were being talked about.  
  
END OF PART 13.  
  
(I didn't like this chapter. But I needed a filler. Part 13b next.) 


	16. This Close To Something

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 13b: This Close To Something  
By Funkiechick  
  
(I hope this makes up for part 13, which I hated. Sorry it sucked so bad. This is set wwaaayyyy back at the beginning of D2. What WERE Guy and Connie talking about when they were about to kiss? Oh yes, and a Ken add-on will be coming up, and an Averman one. Enjoy this.)  
  
Connie looked out at the water, smiling to herself as she let the breeze flow through her hair. Guy watched her, blushing slightly. He knew he had to say SOMETHING. Something romantic. Something sweet...something...something...  
  
"Your legs look good in those shorts."  
  
'Oh GOD.'  
  
Connie glanced at him, broken out of thought. She was blushing slightly, but more in an embarrassed way than in a flattered one. Guy immediately wished he hadn't said a word.  
  
'I HAD to go and make an idiot of myself. I HAD to go and say something stupid.'  
  
"Um...thankyou." Connie mumbled. Guy sighed.  
  
They were silent once more, Connie obviously waiting for him to save his butt, and Guy waiting for a line- a good one- to pop into his head.  
  
"I...I mean...I just...uuuuhhhh-"   
  
"Forget it, Guy." Connie sighed, and looked back out at the water. Guy swore at himself mentally, and looked out at the water with his hands shoved in his pockets.   
  
"Do you think Bombay is coming back?" Connie suddenly asked. It wasn't a question to break the awkward silence. It was more like something she had been wondering about for awhile. But then again, Guy had been too.  
  
"I hope so." Guy nodded. "But I'm not sure. What with the blow to the leg he took in the game, I'm not sure he's fit to do anything like that for awhile."  
  
Connie pouted, and Guy wished again he hadn't said anything. "That bites." She said bluntly.  
  
"Well, you never know." Guy said optimistically. "Bombay IS insane. He'll probably ignore everything the medics tell him to, even when he says we should never do that. Damn hypocrite."  
  
Connie laughed. "You're one to talk."  
  
"Hey, what is THAT supposed to mean?" Guy asked, taking hold of her wrists and bugging her. Connie stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"Oh Connie, don't go anything stupid out on the ice! Play it safe! Now I'm off to go check that player who's half my size and probably eats chickens the size of me. Bye!"  
  
"I never SAID that." Guy retorted.  
  
"But it's what you were doing!" Connie poked his stomach. Guy poked her back.  
  
Guy looked at her a moment, while holding her wrists, and then smiled. "You're beautiful, Cons. Did you know that?"  
  
Connie blushed then, and stared at him. "I am?"  
  
"Yeah. And you're awesome all around. Really." Guy nodded. "Everything about you."  
  
Connie pulled away, and leaned back again on the railing, looking out at the water. Guy did so as well, waiting for her to answer him.  
  
"So are you." She mumbled. "I mean, you're not...you're not BEAUTIFUL, I just didn't, I'm...GOD. You-"  
  
Guy glanced at her. "You are so weird."  
  
"Look who's talking." She retorted. "You think I'm beautiful. And amazing. Even though I have a bad temper and I don't act like a girl."  
  
"You're smart and funny, and pretty and nice and perfect. In your own Connie way. And everybody thinks so, Connie." Guy smiled at her, and then looked out at the water again.  
  
Connie did so as well. "Guy?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You're amazing too. In your own Guy way." She smiled out at the water. "Everybody thinks so."  
  
Guy turned to her then, and she did the same. He took hold her hands, and she looked down at them, and then up at him. He leaned forward, and just as they came close...  
  
WWWWUUUAAAAAAAAHH!!!  
  
Connie turned around, and Connie glanced over her shoulder to see Charlie, Averman and Jesse all grinning at him evilly.  
  
"The quack attack is BACK, Jack!" Averman said, shrugging.  
  
"Come on, lets go!" Connie tugged at his hands, and then ran up to the others.   
  
"Come on Guy!"  
  
Guy looked at his hands, looked at the boys and then shook his head at them. "I was THIS close!!"  
  
END OF PART 13B  
  
(It was cute, Fluffy...but cute. Too short. Sorry.) 


	17. At Least He Tells Her Things

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 14: At Least He Tells Her Things   
By Funkiechick  
  
(Sorry it took so long. I also have something very important to say. I need people to review and tell me what musical they think Guy should be in. If I don't start getting more reviews, I may not continue with this fic. If I don't think I'm getting support...Also, NO THE CHAPTERS ARE NOT OUT OF ORDER. In the authors note I said that they were ADD ONS. Bonus chapters that have nothing to do with the story line. I really wish people would read author's notes. *siiiggghhh* I'm very tired and grumpy. Sorry   
Anyhoo, enjoy part 14.)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Mighty Ducks, Clockwork Orange, Labyrinth The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles OR Pretty In Pink. I DO own Jake tho.  
  
"You're getting the hang of it, Guy." Portman mentioned as they put away their climbing equipment. "I mean, you're no ME, and Jake could climb you off the wall, but you're not bad."  
  
"Thanks." Guy grinned. "It's fun."  
  
Portman and Guy had gone climbing at Jake's center. He was a very good teacher- Jake- Guy had discovered. Patient, yet humorous so he would lighten up the mood if you messed up. Guy had enjoyed climbing. He wasn't bad either. If he made a routine of this, maybe one day he would be as good as Portman, or maybe even his dad.  
  
"So." Guy grinned. "Did you-"  
  
"JAKE!!! JAKE!!! HELP!!!!"  
  
Normally a scream would have been distressing. Especially a scream for help. But this was just from Lana, the worst climber in the history of climbers. Shortly after he screams, her partner Sandy spoke up.  
  
"Lana, you're two feet of the ground for chrissake!!!"  
  
Poor poor Sandy...  
  
"You were saying?" Portman proceeded to Guy, as they walked out of the climbing room, waving at Jake. They were to wait for him until he was finished, then rent some movies and hang out at Jake's apartment. Life, Guy had decided, was perfect.  
  
"Did you get the letter?" Guy asked. "About Eden Hall?"  
  
Portman shrugged, as they sat down on the bench outside the climbing room. "Yeah. Not going."  
  
Guy stopped smiling then, and stared at him. "You're NOT? How come?"  
  
Portman rolled his eyes. "Oh come ON. Bombay's not gonna be there. We're stuck with some dick named ORION. It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. I mean, shit Guy." Portman shook his head. "I love the Ducks and everything, but Bombay is...the heart of the team."  
  
Guy stared incredulously at Portman. "I guess you do have a point but...you know. I never considered leaving the Ducks an option. So..."  
  
"So you're going?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm going."  
  
They were silent for awhile, and Guy cracked his knuckles awkwardly, not really knowing what to say. It had never occurred to him that some of his best friends, may not want to go to Eden Hall. May not want to leave Bombay. Jesse wasn't going either, and Guy had been depressed for two days about that news. He tried not to think about his years at high school, without Jesse.  
  
Hell, some of them may not want to go that far in hockey. This was a school that represented hockey as a career.  
  
"What about Julie?" Guy suddenly asked, not wanting to think about growing up, and not wanting to think about making decisions. Portman swore.  
  
"Yeah, that's one of the hardest parts is telling her she wont see me during her four years of high school."  
  
Guy whistled. "It'd be easier if you just came."  
  
Portman glared at him. "Yeah, well I'm NOT, okay? So you can just forget it. I don't want hockey without Bombay."  
  
"What about your FRIENDS, Portman?" Guy suddenly snapped. "What about Fulton and Julie and what about me!?"  
  
"I KNOW, okay?" Portman yelled back. "I've thought about it! I know what I'm doing!"  
  
"You hold back everything!" Guy said in frustration. "People worry about you, you know. If you just gave Eden a chance-"  
  
Portman shook his head. "You're preaching about all this shit, and you're the one who holds everything back and doesn't tell anyone ANYTHING."  
  
Guy stared, silent. He averted his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Like shit you don't." Portman replied. "Every time something is wrong with you, you completely close everybody out, and don't say anything for about two weeks-"  
  
"That's not-" Guy started to protest, but Portman kept going.  
  
"And THAT is why you and Connie are falling apart because you don't tell her anything and she thinks you don't trust her. You don't trust ANY of us, do you?"  
  
"Fuck you." Guy snapped, and buried his face in his arms, which were folded atop his knees, curled up close to him. "Fuck you, you don't understand anything."  
  
Portman sighed, and leaned against the wall behind them. "Guy, tell me why you're so alone. Tell me why you act like such a fuck up half the time."  
  
Guy looked up at Portman, and shook his head. "Two people know. And one of them is by accident, I don't want anyone to know, alright?" Guy sighed. "It's complicated. If Connie DID know what was up with me, she would act like a completely different person. You all would." Guy shook his head again. "You'd all pity me and talk in soft voices and no one would think I was Guy anymore, so..." He paused, and looked up at Portman. "It's not worth it."  
  
Portman was silent, and folded his arms across his chest. "I see."  
  
Guy swore with frustration. "You see WHAT? Stop fucking analyzing me."  
  
"I didn't say anything." Portman replied. "Just thinking about how much you're life will suck when the shit really hits the fan, and you're alone."  
  
Guy stared back at Portman, glaring. "You can be a real bitch sometimes, Portman."  
  
"Fighting?"  
  
Guy and Portman snapped their heads around to see Jake watching them, arms folded and his face looking suspicious. "Hey dad." Guy said quickly.  
  
"Something wrong?" Jake asked. Guy quickly shook his head, and Portman sighed and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
As they prepared to leave, Portman realized that he had to get Guy to break down and say something about what was wrong. Guy was just getting too fucked up for his own good.  
  
(Authors note: I hate the beginning of this chapter. Too much angst, too soon. I like the rest though, so read on!)  
  
-----------------  
  
Ken yawned audibly as he flipped through cd's in the mall record store. 'God.' He thought. 'Is this vacation proving to be boring or what?'  
  
Well, technically, it wasn't a vacation. It was a business trip of his mothers. She was a travel agent, and she had to take a flight down to Maine to check out a hotel for the agency. Being it just Ken and his mom (his dad died when he was eight) Ken always went with her.  
  
But it didn't change the fact he was still bored. He wished he'd brought his book full of the Ducks phone numbers. Then he would have called Julie, got together with her. But no, he had to be stupid and forget.  
  
Finally, he decided on a Sloan cd, and brought it over to the counter as the clerk (a tall guy with blue hair, and a pierced lip and eyebrow) swiped his card through.  
  
"Sloan." The clerk read. He nodded. "Navy Blues. Cool. Good album."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Ken grinned.  
  
(Authors note: VIVA LA SLOAN!!!!)  
  
As Ken took back his newly purchased cd, he heard something very interesting not too far away from the entrance of the store.  
  
"So, have you talked to Guy this summer?"  
  
"Only a little. He's spending all his time with his dad."  
  
Rewind Ken.  
  
"So, have you talked to Guy this summer?"  
  
"Only a little. He's spending all his time with his dad."  
  
Ken turned his head rapidly to see both Julie and Connie making their way into the store, chatting away.  
  
Ken smiled brightly. "Cons! Cat! Over here!"  
  
The both turned their head to look at him, and look at him they did. Oddly. They didn't seem to recognize him. "It's ME!" Ken exclaimed. "Ken!"  
  
They're faces brightened then, and they rushed over, both giving him huge hugs, and kisses on his cheeks.  
  
"Oh my GOD, look at you." Julie exclaimed. "You're HUGE."  
  
It was true. Ken's previous 5'3 was a thing of the past, at his new and impressive looking 5'10. And his hair- GOD, his hair- hung attractively over his face.  
  
Needless to say, he looked GOOD.  
  
"You look SO good." Connie said, taking a strand of his hair. "Soft. Feel his hair, Jules. It's soft!"  
  
Ken grinned sheepishly, as the store clerk rolled his eyes. "Sure, ignore the guy selling him stuff. I don't matter."  
  
"OH sorry." Julie grinned at him. "You're cute too."  
  
"And I'm sure your hair is soft." Connie responded.  
  
"Back off, he's mine." Ken said, and the clerk grinned.  
  
"Oh yeah. Me and figure skating boy here, all the way." He handed Ken his cd, in a small bag. "You guys are that hockey team. My dad is obsessed with you kids. Myself, I'm a musician, not a hockey player."  
  
"Glad to know we're recognized anyway." Connie said, smiling.  
  
With that, they turned and left, the clerk grinning, and Julie laughing at Ken's newly obtained sense of humor.  
  
"I didn't know you were into guys, Ken."  
  
"You learn something new everyday." Ken joked (Another author's note: I have nothing against gays or lesbians or bisexuals. But Ken is not any of them. He just jokes around. I just had to clarify that.) "So, what have you two been up to?"  
  
"Hockey." Connie answered. "Practicing for Eden Hall. And me wishing I was taller, I'm the shortest person on the team now. Guy is 5'9."  
  
"You are sad." Julie poked Connie in the ribs. "She's worried they wont let her play because she's so small."  
  
"Pfft." Ken shook his head. "Never happen, Connie. You're one of our best players, and skaters too. I think Jesse and Mendoza are up there as far as the best skating goes, though. And Averman too."  
  
"You too." Julie added.  
  
"Jesse isn't coming."  
  
Julie and Ken both stopped walking and stared at Connie. "You're kidding." Ken said. Connie shook her head.  
  
"No. I called him a few days ago, before I came here to Maine. He said Eden Hall was for kids who were thinking professional, going on to Notre Dame and stuff. He doesn't want to be a hockey player."  
  
"Oh no..." Julie said. "That sucks."  
  
"No kidding." Ken nodded. "Never occurred to me that some people might not want to go to Eden Hall."  
  
"You don't think that...that any of the other Ducks aren't going, do you?" Connie asked. Ken shrugged.  
  
"I don't know." Julie sighed. Ken then wrapped his arm around Connie's shoulders, giving her a squeeze.  
  
"Don't worry, Cons." Ken said. "Even if some of us are missing, and even if Bombay isn't there, we'll all still be the Ducks."  
  
Connie smiled very brightly at him, and gave him a huge hug. "Thank you Ken." She said. Julie rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh sure, ignore me. Just like you ignored that guy at the CD store." Ken grinned, and wrapped his arm around Julie in the same fashion he did to Connie.  
  
"Come, my bitches." He said, and walked towards the exit of the mall. "We shall hang out at Julie's place."  
  
Connie and Julie both laughed, knowing that Ken was joking. And it occurred to Connie then that Ken was the first guy to make her feel better, without kissing her. Wasn't that all Guy ever did when she was upset? Kiss her?  
  
------------------  
  
Portman stared at the phone in front of him. He had been for the last twenty minutes, trying to pluck up the courage to call Julie, and tell her that he would not be going to Eden Hall.  
  
So far, the courage would not be plucked and Portman was very angry about how he was turning into a MASSIVE wuss.  
  
Either way, Portman decided to call her. Whether he told her now, or not, was whatever came out of his mouth. No one really knew with Portman. He sighed, and picked up the phone, slowly dialing the area code, and then Julie's number (which he had memorized since the moment she told it to him).  
  
It rang three times before a laughing voice picked it up, and Portman knew immediately it was Julie. He could hear laughing in the background too, Connie and someone else.  
  
"Hello?" She laughed into the phone.  
  
"Hey cat."  
  
There was silence for a moment, and the laughing in the background continued, obviously ignoring them, but Julie was just breathing. "Portman?"  
  
"Yeah. Hey."  
  
"Hi." She replied. "Hi! How are you?"  
  
"I'm doing okay. Guy and I are having fun, Jake is very cool." Portman answered. "How about you?"  
  
"Great. Connie and I are practicing for Eden. You?"  
  
Portman searched his mind. This was it. Tell her, Dean. She has to know. "Yeah, me too."  
  
GODDAMMNIT!!!!!!!  
  
"Good." Julie answered. "Oh, and we ran into Ken. He's here now, hanging out. You wouldn't believe how different he looks, he's way taller than me and Connie now. Connie is the shortest on the team."  
  
"How tall did the shrimp grow?"  
  
"He's 5'10."  
  
Portman was silent. "He grew 7 inches? One more and he'd be as tall as me."  
  
"I know. Insane, isn't it? It happened right after the games, during the school year and summer. He looks so good. Total stud."  
  
Portman grinned. "More of a stud than me? With his inch shorter man?"  
  
Julie burst out laughing. "This sounds REALLY dirty!!"  
  
"Yeah, I know." Portman snorted. "I think that was my point." She laughed some more, and Portman felt his stomach clench. He had to tell her..."I miss you, you know."  
  
Julie took a breath, a cute shaking one, and replied "I miss you too."  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
"I have something I want to ask you, Dean." Julie said, using his first name. Not many people did that often, but when they did, it was usually because the conversation was about to turn a bit serious. So Portman waited patiently.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked.  
  
"Um...I just wanted you to know...well, you're supposed to be in Eden Hall already, because you're a year older than us. But-"  
  
"They said I'm going same time you guys are. To keep me off varsity."  
  
"Yeah, I know. So I was wondering..." Julie took a breath. "Maybe you could stay with me during the year before I go. Wouldn't that be fun?"  
  
Portman felt his face turn hot, and then cursed in his mind. He hated blushing, it made him look like a pansy. "Uh...yeah, it would. I'll have to check with my dad. I mean, it's a lot to think about."  
  
"I know. But I really want to see you."  
  
"I really want to see you too. I'm going to ask, okay? I hope I can."  
  
"Good."  
  
They were silent a bit more, a comfortable silence, and then Portman sighed. "Listen, this is a long distance call on Jake's phone, so I have to go. But I promise I'll call you and let you know what's up.  
  
"Okay. Bye Portman."  
  
"Bye." Portman gulped. "Love ya." Then he hung up before she could say a word. It was amazing how girls could make the toughest of guys seem like pathetic little things, isn't it?  
  
"Fuck." Portman suddenly said. "I didn't TELL her!!!"  
  
-------------------  
  
"Oh look, dad. Pretty In Pink. You KNOW you want to get it."  
  
Jake burst out laughing at the fake enthusiasm in Guy's voice as he showed his dad the beloved Molly Ringwald movie. "No thanks, son. Think I'll pass."  
  
"Good." Guy shot back, grinning, and putting the video back. He couldn't believe how much fun life was being right now. He hadn't thought about his mother, or about Max since they'd been here.   
  
He hadn't thought about Connie too much either, but he didn't realize that yet...  
  
"Labyrinth!" Jake called out, grabbing the infamous David Bowie movie. "A classic. It's ours."  
  
"Okay, one down." Guy said. "That would be, David Bowie in TIGHTS, but the Goblin battle makes up for that one." He glanced around. "How about the Bible on LSD?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."  
  
Jake burst out laughing. "That's what it's like, too."  
  
Guy nodded. "I know, me and Ken came up with it. He has Elaine Paige's autograph."  
  
"Lucky kid."  
  
"OOH." Guy said, grabbing a tape. "Clockwork Orange." Guy held it up to his father. "How about it?"  
  
"I think we're set." Jake replied, taking Clockwork Orange and Labyrinth. "Lets go."  
  
Guy smiled as he and his dad went to the counter to pay. He wished so much that he could live with his dad from now on. Imagine not having to worry about waking up, and mom being in the hospital. Or dead. Imagine not having to hold his hands over his ears before he went to sleep every night, so he wouldn't hear anything. Like his mother crying and Max's yelling.   
  
Imagine not being kicked around.  
  
Guy couldn't really remember a time where things were better than they were now. Everything was perfect.  
  
----------------  
  
"What'd you get?"  
  
First words out of Portman's mouth as soon as they got back, and Jake held up the two videos for him to see. "Labyrinth and Clockwork Orange."  
  
"Cool." Portman replied. "I always knew Guy had a thing for David Bowie in tights."  
  
"Fuck you." Guy replied. "Dad, can I call Connie? I have my own money, I can pay long distance-"  
  
"Forget it, it's on me. Go call her." Jake said. Guy grinned, took the portable phone, and went to his and Portman's room.  
  
"That reminds me." Portman said. "I called Julie. Is that okay?" Jake nodded, indicating it was fine. He was looking through the cupboards for the popcorn.   
  
"Just don't do it too often. Only about once a week, okay?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"So," Jake said, still searching. "Did you tell her you weren't going to Eden?" Portman sighed, and shook his head. Jake followed with his own sigh. "So that means only me, Guy and Fulton know, right?"  
  
"Yeah." Portman replied. "But Julie told me something. She wants to invite me to her house the year before she goes to Eden."  
  
Jake stopped searching, and stared. "She's thirteen, Portman. And you're fourteen, don't you think that's a bit young to be staying at your girlfriends house?"  
  
"You don't have to worry about it." Portman snapped. "You're not my dad. And the popcorns on the back of the top shelf."  
  
Jake nodded, and dug his hand into the top shelve, grabbing the popcorn. "I may not be your dad, but I know what is and isn't a good idea."  
  
"What?" Portman snapped. "You don't trust us?"  
  
"It's your hormones I don't trust. I was a kid once too." Jake replied. "But I don't control you. It's really up to you."  
  
Portman was silent then, and helped Jake make the popcorn, the subject closed for the evening.  
  
-----------------  
  
Guy smiled when he heard Julie's voice say a hello on the other line. "Hey, Julie." Guy said. "Can I talk to Connie?"  
  
"Oh, hey Guy." Julie replied. "Sure. She and Ken are arguing over whether to watch The Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles."  
  
"Ken wants to watch Sixteen Candles?"  
  
Julie laughed. "Very funny. Connie said she wanted to save the best for last, so she wants to watch Sixteen Candles first."  
  
"I see." Guy grinned. "I'm biased to Breakfast Club, so don't ask for my vote."  
  
Julie laughed again. "Right, Guy. I'll go get Connie. See you."  
  
Guy waited, until he heard Connie's voice on the other line. "Hey." She said casually.   
  
"Hey Cons." He replied. "How ya doing?"  
  
"Great. Ken's mom is here on business, so we ran into him at a CD store. He looks SO good. He grew 7 inches."  
  
Guy snorted. "So he's one inch bigger than me."  
  
Connie sighed. "That is so dirty. Portman used that on Julie, so I'm all laughed out about that joke. How's your dad?"  
  
"Great!" Guy said enthusiastically. "One sec." He opened the door of his room, and yelled to his father. "Hey dad! Say hi to Connie!" He held out the phone.  
  
"HI TO CONNIE!" Jake called from the kitchen, which wasn't too far off considering his apartment wasn't too large. Portman and Guy were sharing Jake's storage room. He went back in. "Cool, isn't he?"  
  
"Very." Connie replied. "Did Jesse tell you?"  
  
"About not going to Eden? Yeah. He called me."  
  
"I called him. It sucks."  
  
They were both silent for a bit, and then Guy spoke up. "I'm really gonna miss him. He was like, my best friend since we were kids, ya know? You and him."  
  
"I know." Connie replied. "It wont be the same. It never occurred to me that Jesse wouldn't come."  
  
Guy almost mentioned Portman, but he remembered that Portman may not have told anyone else that he's not going. So Guy kept his mouth shut.  
  
"So, hows your mom?" Connie asked. Guy's mood dropped.  
  
"I'unno. How SHOULD I know? She never calls me."  
  
"Call her. You know how needy she is."  
  
"Listen, Connie." Guy said. "Can we change the subject?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why?" Guy replied. "Because I don't wanna talk about her! That's why!"  
  
"Why don't you want to talk about her?"  
  
"It's not of your business!!! Just forget it!"  
  
They were silent, an uncomfortable one, until Connie spoke back. "Forget this, Guy. At least KEN tells me things."  
  
With that, she hung up.  
  
-----------------  
  
Connie could not believe she had said that. 'At least KEN tells me things.'  
  
Now what was Guy gonna think? That her and Ken...? Was that even a possibility? She plopped down next to Ken-who was between her and Julie on the couch- after hanging up.  
  
"How's lover boy?" Ken asked.   
  
Connie shrugged. "Okay I guess. So, we watching the Breakfast Club?" she noticed it's empty case. "So we're watching gonna watch a romantic comedy, after THIS kick ass movie?"  
  
"Yup." Julie said. "You missed the argument. Ken bashed your ideals of holding best for last."  
  
"You suck." Connie poked Ken's stomach as he laughed. Then she poked it again. "Ooh. Rock hard abs."  
  
Ken grinned. "Oh yeah, all for you."  
  
Both seemed surprised then, and Julie looked interested. "Stop it, you two. We're going to watch a MOVIE here."  
  
'Oh my GOD.' Connie thought, looking strait ahead. 'I was just flirting with Ken...come to think of it..' she glanced at him. 'I've been flirting with him all afternoon.'  
  
It came to her attention then, that their knees were touching. She looked down at them, and then back up at Ken. He was looking at her. Both held the gaze for a moment, before looking back at the screen.  
  
Both of them were blushing.  
  
As the movie went on, Connie was lucky she could focus on the film and Bender's hilarious one-liners instead of thinking about Ken's knee and how close it was to hers.  
  
"Ever notice..." Ken said, watching Andrew's monologue scene on The Breakfast Club. "How much that Andrew kid, looks like Bombay?"  
  
-----------------  
  
Guy couldn't believe she had said that. He could not BELIEVE Connie had said that. And what was it supposed to mean?  
  
At least KEN tells her things?? What, had Guy been dumped? Forgotten about? She hadn't mentioned dumping, but it was implied that she wanted to be near Ken, instead of him.  
  
What was he supposed to do?  
  
Portman and Jake were laughing at Jareth's tights as they watched Labyrinth, and didn't take much notice of Guy. Which wasn't surprising. Guy wasn't acting like anything was wrong. He never did. Compared to things that were usually amiss, this was virtually nothing.  
  
'Well then.' Guy thought. 'Connie, you're not going to ruin this for me. I have this relationship with my dad that I wouldn't change for the world. This is the best summer of my life. And no matter what you say, it's not gonna change that.'  
  
So Guy joined in on the tights taunting, proposing to sort out Connie and him later. And he wasn't going to let their argument ruin the only care free time in his life that he ever had.  
  
END OF PART 14  
  
(This part was okay. Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry it took so long.) 


	18. Wishing What We Shouldn't

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 15: Wishing What We Shouldn't  
By Funkiechick  
  
(I'm very happy with the nice reviews I've got, thank you all for being so sweet. Especially Cake Eater. Okay, I'm afraid the Guy/Connie fans are really going to hate me for this one. But hey, they did break up before Eden Hall. I have about one or two more parts to go- perhaps three or four- before they actually get to Eden Hall. Now that I look at everything, this is probably going to be an extremely long fic. I'm looking at it and I'm thinking I have 30 parts, and it's still not done. So I think I have to moderate. PLEASE TELL ME GUY MUSICAL OR I'LL JUST DECIDE. Oh yes, the title is named after a great Bob Dylan song.)  
  
This part is dedicated to Cake Eater for being such a sweet reviewer and because great minds DO think alike ^_^. Now I just have to find that great part of my mind you were talking about...  
  
----------  
  
"You had a fight, huh?"  
  
Connie nodded miserably, and buried her head deeper into her pillow. They were lying around in Julie's room two days after the 'Ken tells me things' argument. Connie regretted it. A lot. It wasn't as if Guy didn't tell her things, he just had a hard time saying what was on his mind. Connie was furious at herself for overreacting.  
  
Julie sighed, plopping down next to her, and patting her on the head. "I take it this has to do with him being so distant?"  
  
Connie nodded once more. "I didn't mean to say what I did..."  
  
"Well, it's certain to give him a push." Julie said, folding her arms across her chest. "But then again, if you didn't mean to say it, maybe Ken's been in your subconscious. You've been awfully flirty with him, and he's not exactly acting repulsed."  
  
"I'm a horrible person." Connie moaned, sitting up. "Ken's not in my subconscious, is he? Do you really think he is?"  
  
Julie bit her lip. "Well, do you want the truth?" Connie nodded and Julie sighed. "Connie, you and Guy have been together for a long time, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Well, I personally think you two belong together, BUT-" Julie cut Connie off before she could get a word in. "You can't go through life with the same guy, and no one else. There does come a time when there's gonna be curiosity, and you're going to start feeling that way for someone else. I think you and Guy need a break."  
  
"You really do?" Connie asked timidly, very un-like her.  
  
"Yes." Julie nodded. "Definitely. Think, what if you two got married and then your curiosity peaks then? What if you had kids and then Guy met someone else and you met someone else and you got a divorce and a year later you want to get back together because you'll ALWAYS love each other?"  
  
"Are you saying that Ken is just curiosity?"  
  
Julie shook her head. "No no...I'm saying...I'm saying you're starting to like Ken because we're almost fourteen, and you're not old enough to commit to one person as long as you've been committing to Guy." Julie shrugged. "I say you and Guy take a break, so you can see other people, and then you'll know whether or not you and Guy want to be together or not."  
  
Connie sighed. "I was afraid of this..."  
  
"I know."  
  
"How do you..." Connie wrapped her arms around herself. "How do you suppose I should tell him?"  
  
"Well, phone breaking upping is very tacky." Julie answered. "But you want an open summer. Who knows, you may want Guy back by the time school starts. You DO have a year before Eden."  
  
"That's true." Connie said, then thinking hard on the comment. 'Guy may not want me back. Who says I can just dump him and expect him to crawl on his hands and knees?' She thought. She couldn't use Guy as her back up. Doing that to Guy was the not an option, she couldn't hurt him. Besides being her boyfriend, he was one of her best friends.  
  
She stared at Julie's portable phone, lying on the bed. Both glanced at each other, and then Connie stared at the phone. "Maybe I should give it awhile."  
  
"It's up to you." Julie sighed.  
  
"Now can we please stop acting like girlie girls?" Connie asked, wrinkling her nose. "It's giving me the creeps."  
  
Julie laughed. "Yeah, I know. Come on, lets go walking."  
  
Connie nodded, and they left the room, trudging down the stairs. "Can we invite Ken?"  
  
Julie grinned back at her. "Sure. Come on, we'll call him together."  
  
"Thank you Julie."  
  
"It's no problem."  
  
---------------  
  
"What we need...is SUMMER women!"  
  
Adam, Luis, Fulton and Charlie rolled their eyes at Averman as he stood up on Charlie's bed with his finger pointing to the ceiling in a very patriotic manor. "Right, Averman. Like it's that easy." Fulton mumbled.  
  
"It IS." Averman insisted. "Think about it! We have all the necessary qualities to make up a FINE man."  
  
Charlie was chucking his mini basketball against the wall back and forth between him and Adam, catching it. "What do you mean?" Charlie asked, the ball bouncing against the wall and then to Adam, who caught it and repeated the action. Luis was lying on his stomach on the floor, half asleep.  
  
"What I MEAN is..." Averman jumped off of the bed. "Charlie has all the boy next door charm..."  
  
"Thanks." Charlie said weakly.  
  
"Adam has the rich boy looks that girls seem to go for."   
  
"Whatever." Adam rolled his eyes.  
  
"Luis has these to DIE for eye-lashes." Averman pointing to Luis eyes. Luis glared at him, very sensitive about his pretty-boy face.  
  
"Fulton has the manliness that every woman so seeks in a man." Averman patted Fulton on the head. Fulton growled at him. "See? Pure manhood."  
  
"Shut up." Fulton snapped.  
  
"And _I_." Averman slapped his hand on his chest proudly. "Am not only amazingly charming, stunningly attractive and fantastically manly, but I also have a hilarious sense of humor." He grinned. "Think of the possibilities!!"  
  
"I'm thinking." Adam answered. "And I don't think I feel like dating just anyone any time soon."  
  
"Single is best." Luis yawned. "It means you can flirt with anyone."  
  
"Right." Adam added.  
  
"Are you still all hung up on Julie?" Fulton asked, catching the basketball from Charlie.  
  
"You were hung up on JULIE?" Charlie exclaimed.  
  
"Since when?" Averman added.  
  
"Since always." Luis said.  
  
"Since never." Adam snapped. "I was never HUNG up on Julie. I told Fulton I thought she was cute, end of conversation."  
  
"Well, she IS cute." Averman answered. "So if you go by THAT logic than we're all hung up on Julie."  
  
"Who do you think's hotter?" Fulton asked. "Connie or Julie?"  
  
"It depends on what you mean." Charlie said. "Connie is too much like a little sister to me, so I'd have to go with Julie."  
  
"Connie." Averman answered. "Julie has the all-american girl thing going on, but Connie is _exotic_."  
  
"Connie." Luis said. "She's saucy. I like that."  
  
Everyone rolled their eyes.  
  
"Both are equal." Adam said. "But Connie needs to smile more, sometimes she scares the shit out of me. So I think Julie." He glanced at Fulton. "What about you?"  
  
"Connie. Hands down." Fulton said. "In the words of Averman. Julie isn't my type. She's too babe-ish for me. She's more for Portman."  
  
Charlie grinned. "No kidding."  
  
"How about Russ?" Adam asked.  
  
"That guy is so cool..." Fulton grinned. "And he thinks Julie."  
  
"Lets see..." Averman said. "Who would Jesse choose?"  
  
"Connie!" Luis grinned. They all glanced at him.  
  
"You think so?" Charlie asked. "I mean, those two are just friends."  
  
"Yeah, they grew up together, just like us." Fulton said.  
  
"You haven't noticed?" Luis sat up, grinning madly. Adam blinked at him. "You guys have known them since they were little! And you haven't NOTICED?"  
  
"Noticed what?" Adam asked.  
  
"Jesse had a HUGE crush on Connie." Luis explained. "It was even more obvious than MINE was. Come on, you couldn't NOT have seen it."  
  
"I never noticed." Adam said.  
  
"Neither did I." Fulton added, but Charlie seemed to be in thought with Averman, and then they both nodded.  
  
"You know, I think Luis is right." Charlie said.  
  
"If you really think about it." Averman took the little basketball and banged it back and forth between him and the wall. "It WAS kinda obvious."  
  
"Ken thinks they're BOTH the same." Fulton said.   
  
"Portman thinks Julie." Luis said.  
  
"Guy thinks Connie." Charlie added, and then Averman rolled his eyes at him as he bounced the ball.  
  
"No duh." He said. "Dwayne thinks Connie."  
  
"Goldburg thinks Julie..." Fulton said.  
  
Luis shook his head. "You know, Portman and Guy are too lucky." He snorted. "I mean, Guy and Connie are NEVER going to break up. You guys have known them the longest, will they ever?"  
  
Charlie shook his head. "No. Never. They're inseparable."  
  
"I don't know..." Fulton said. "I think Portman and Julie are the together ones."  
  
"I think they both are..." Adam said. Averman snorted, and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Do you realize how unmanly we are, talking about this?? AND WHY does everyone talk about GUY and CONNIE, ANYway??!!"  
  
Everyone looked at the sky then. "Yeah, Ms. I-love-Guy-fanfics-Author. WHY?!"  
  
Because it's part of the plot you dumbasses, now shut up.  
  
"Have you heard about Jesse not going to Eden?" Adam said suddenly, and everyone looked solemn. Charlie sighed.  
  
"Yeah. He hasn't told two people though."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Luis asked. "Who?"  
  
"Guy and Bombay."  
  
"Oops."  
  
"Yeah I know."  
  
"Are you guys..." Fulton started, then gulped. "Are you guys planning on going all the way with hockey? I mean, Eden Hall is serious shit. This is the turning point."  
  
Adam, without a pause, said "Without a doubt."  
  
Charlie considered a moment, then nodded. "I think...maybe."  
  
"I suppose." Luis added, shrugging. "If I don't make it, they're other things I'm good at. But there's no hurt in trying."  
  
Averman shook his head. "Not me." They were all silent, and Averman continued. "I'm good and all, and I'm going to Eden, but I can't see me being a professional hockey player. I just don't think that's what I want to do." He looked at Fulton. "You?"  
  
"It really depends." Fulton said.  
  
"On what?"  
  
"On what I feel like doing." Fulton answered. "Right now, I feel like I wanna be a hockey player. Someday I may not. I can never tell with me, so we'll just wait and see what happens."  
  
"Like Portman?"  
  
Fulton bit his lip, knowing not to tell them that Portman was not going to Eden. "Uh, yeah. Like Portman."  
  
"Hockey is everything." Adam said, looking slightly awed. "More than anything, all I want is to make it. It's my...dream, you know?" He glanced around. "It's all I want to do."  
  
"You'll make it, Banks." Averman said. "You always do."  
  
---------------  
  
"I spy with my little eye, something that starts with...I."  
  
"Ice cream."  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Idiot?"  
  
"Ha ha."  
  
"Iodine?"  
  
"IODINE?"  
  
"What? Not many things start with I! I give up, alright? Just tell me."  
  
"Illustration." Ken said, as if it were obvious, pointing to the large mural painting on the side of the ice cream building that he and Connie had just left. Julie's mother had called on Julie's cell phone midway through the trip, and she had to head back and help her mother with dinner.   
  
Connie had said she'd go with her, but Julie had given her the eye and told her to stay with Ken. So here they were, an unofficial first date, and Connie didn't know what to do. She was having way too much fun.  
  
"Very nice." Connie scoffed at Ken's choice of the game, and then took a lick of her bubblegum flavored ice cream. "At least _I_ think of normal things in this game."  
  
"I do too." Ken replied, finishing off the cone of his own ice cream. He was the fastest ice cream eater Connie had ever seen. They'd gotten the ice cream no more than five minutes before and he was already finished. It made Connie noticed how slow she was at eating her own.  
  
"My turn." Connie said, licking her lips. "I spy with my little eye something that starts with...W."  
  
"W?"  
  
"W."  
  
"That." Ken said, throwing away the napkin from his cone. "Is WAY worse than I."  
  
"It is not!" Connie exclaimed, placing one of her hands on her hips. "W is a GREAT letter."  
  
"Okay okay." Ken rolled his eyes. "I think it's only because my last NAME starts with W that you like it so much."  
  
Connie blushed. She hadn't realized that. Julie could be right! What if Ken WAS on her subconscious? "It is not. If you must know, it stands for..." she glanced around. "WALL."  
  
Ken snorted, and burst out laughing. "Oh, and WALL is SO much better than illustration."  
  
"It is!" Said Connie, finishing off the ice cream and crunching on the cone as they walked along. "You see, it's so simple, that NO ONE would expect you to use it, so they guess all sorts of unique things. They'll think 'wall starts with W, but that's too simple' so then I'll win and you'll lose."  
  
Ken grinned. "Okay then." He said, glancing around. "I spy with my little eye, something that starts with..." he glanced around. "D."  
  
"Dummy?"  
  
"You're not funny, you know."  
  
Connie ignored him as she finished her cone and threw the napkin into a nearby trashcan. "Dog?" She asked, pointing to the boarder collie across the street.  
  
"No."  
  
"Door?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Drinks?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I don't know!" Connie laughed. "What?"  
  
Ken grabbed a dandelion off the ledge next to him and stopped walking. "Dandelion." He said simply, and put it in his hair. "How do I look? You think I should wear it normally?"  
  
"Without a doubt." Connie said, grinning. Ken smiled back at her, plucked the dandelion out of his hair, then looked at it, then at her.   
  
"Merry Christmas." He said, handing it to her. Connie blushed, and grinned somewhat awkwardly as she took it, and twirled it by the stem in one hand as they continued walking. This time, they were a bit silent. It was an amazingly fluffy and sweet thing for Ken to do. One of those cliche movie moments that girls say is corny and don't realize they want until it actually happens.  
  
They walked on, and stopped next to the fountain in the middle of the road, not really saying anything as Ken dug into his pocket. He produced two pennies, and handed one to Connie.  
  
"Wish time." He said, and he flicked his penny into the pool. Connie smiled, and made her wish, then did the same. "I usually always wish for the same thing." He said.  
  
"What's that?" Connie asked.  
  
"A Red wagon."  
  
Connie burst out laughing. "Oh really? Ever since you were little?" Ken nodded, and Connie continued laughing.  
  
"It sort of became routine. I'd find a well or a fountain and think, birthday candles, all that stuff, and think 'okay, Ken. Wish for a car! Here goes, I wish for a red wagon!'." He shrugged. "I wanted it for so long it sort of stuck."  
  
"Did you ever get a red wagon?" She asked. Ken shook his head. "Aaaw, poor Ken. Well, you wished for it today again, maybe you'll get lucky."  
  
Ken looked sheepish, and stuck his hands into his pockets, glancing around. "I didn't wish for a red wagon today."  
  
Connie stared at him for a moment, and felt herself blush, even though he hadn't said anything. "You didn't?"  
  
Ken shook his head. "No."  
  
They were silent, and Connie clasped her hands together (the dandelion still there, held tightly in her grasp) in front of her, looking at her feet as she bit her lip. "What did you wish for?" She asked.  
  
Ken didn't say anything, and she knew he was staring at her. She could tell. You can always tell when a person is looking at you because it feels like everything is silent and the silence is expectant. She looked up warily, and it was true. Ken was looking at her in adorably cute and vulnerable way.  
  
Ken leaned forward tentivly, and Connie knew what he was going to do. And she also knew she didn't want him to stop. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up, only to feel Ken's lips graze over her own in a small, yet slightly firm kiss.  
  
When he pulled back, and Connie opened her eyes, she saw he was as flushed as she was, and he was looking at her, expecting her to say something. Anything.   
  
"That was my wish too." She mumbled.  
  
Ken stared at her a moment, before a grin grew slightly on his lips, and Connie smiled back. He held his hand out, shyly, and Connie took it, smiling brightly by then.  
  
Then they walked back to Julie's, hand in hand.  
  
END OF PART 15.  
  
(Oh man. I'm sorry for all Guy/Connie people. I LOVE GUY/CONNIE. I also really like Ken/Connie though. Remember, Connie and Guy broke up before D3. And I wanted to put some depth behind that. I know, technically in this, Connie cheated. But think about it. Please don't try to hate characters and all that. It's Ducks. We love them. Anyhow, hope you liked it.) 


	19. Authors Note: Guy and Connie

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part: Authors note.  
Funkiechick  
  
----------  
  
Alright. I know people are very upset about me putting Ken and Connie together. But instead of freaking out, read on. I mentioned that Guy and Connie belong together. Can anyone sense foreshadowing?  
  
The point is, Guy and Connie broke up before D3. Guy didn't want to, Connie did. I am just creating a fictional reason. I didn't mean to let this spoiler out, but to keep some of my readers, I have to.  
  
Yes, Connie and Guy will get back together obviously. I meant for them to get back together all along. Ken and Connie wont stay together forever, but they will be together for awhile. As the story line moves on, Ken and Connie will break up, and finally Guy and Connie will be together again.  
  
But for now, having a girlfriend is not on Guy's mind. Remember, he's FOURTEEN. There is plenty of time for him and Connie to get back together. And they will. I can't say which part, but Guy and Connie fans, it will happen. But right now, Guy has to go through some things in the story line, and so does Connie. Without each other.  
  
Don't worry, they will get back together.  
  
_Funkiechick_ 


	20. No Safety Or Surprise, The End

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 16: No Safety Or Surprise, The End  
By Funkiechick  
  
(This chapter part's name is part of the lyrics to a great Doors song called 'The End'. Anyway. Okay. You all saw what I wrote in the review section. I have decided to continue on with this fic because I have so many fans who have said wonderful things and are very important to this fic, and to me. As for the people who don't seem to want to let go of Guy and Connie, think a bit. There is more to life than a relationship. I didn't break them up because I wanted a love triangle. I broke them up because the last thing Guy needs right now is a girl, and because Ken really likes Connie.  
  
This part is dedicated to Eriks-lil-rocker for being so uplifting and making me feel so much better about this fic. Thank you so much. What you said really meant a lot to me. And all you other fans, Cake-Eater, aznJEDI13 and many others who know who you are, thank you so much.  
  
And to all my other wonderful fans, thank you too ^_^. And Thanks to mom and dad who hugged me and held my hand when I cried about that comment in the reviews who said much about this fic sucking. MOM AND DAD, YOU ROCK!!!)  
  
Okay, I have narrowed down the choices for Guy's musical debut:  
  
Grease  
West Side Story  
How To Succeed In Business...Without Really Trying  
Cabaret  
  
Which ever gets the most votes is Guy's decision. Thanks. ^_^ This part is not all happy. It's really sad and kind of sappy. I'm sorry. I hope you like it.)  
  
--------  
  
This was it. Connie stared at the phone in front of her, and took a deep breath. This was it. She was going to break up with Guy. Her boyfriend since she was about three years old. Her first love, her first kiss, and the first guy who ever really cared about her that way.  
  
But it had to be done. Connie realized yesterday, even if she and Ken hadn't kissed by the fountain, she still would have wanted to be with him. The wanting was pulling at her, and all she wanted was to be able to be with Ken without worrying about Guy.  
  
She couldn't help but feel like the biggest bitch on the planet.  
  
Julie peaked in through the slightly open door. "Connie?" She mumbled. "Have you done it yet?"  
  
Connie shook her head, biting her lip. "No. Not yet. Give me a minute, okay?"  
  
Julie nodded, and shut the door again. Connie took a deep breath, and buried her head in her hands. If this was what she wanted, why was it so hard? Was it because she was so used to having him, that the idea of Guy not being with her was like taking away a part of her? It wasn't like they wouldn't be friends...  
  
Connie realized it probably wouldn't be that easy when she explained to him that she had kissed Ken, and that she wanted to be with Ken. Not Guy. Connie sighed once more, picked up the portable phone, and called Guy.  
  
She heard a voice mutter 'h'lo?' after three rings. "Hello, Guy?" She asked. Her voice was shaky. How was she going to do this?  
  
"Uh no, this is Jake. I'll go grab Guy. But be warned, him and Portman are completely sugar-high."  
  
Connie blinked, and then laughed. THIS was Guy's DAD? He sounded like...like GUY. Like a thirteen year old kid. Only with a deep voice.  
  
"I really need to talk to him. Can you tell him it's Connie?"  
  
"OOOHH." Jake said. "Right. Well, he'd talk to you even if the building was burning down. Be right back."  
  
Connie felt another pang of guilt at that comment. God, how was she going to do this? What if it came out all wrong and they couldn't be friends? What then? What if she couldn't do it at all?  
  
"Connie!"  
  
Her heart thumped, but not in the way it usually did when she heard Guy's voice. It was in more of a guilty way, not a love way. "Hello, Guy." Connie said shakily.  
  
"Thank God you called." Guy said. "I thought...I thought you were really pissed off. Thank God you called. I didn't know if I should have called or not because you sounded real mad a few days ago and yeah...I didn't know if I should...should have called." He took a deep breath. "So how are you?"  
  
Connie took a deep breath. "Not good, Guy. I called you for a...for an important reason."  
  
Guy was silent then, and Connie was scared of what would happen. "Yeah? What?" He was trying not to sound nervous. He always concealed his emotions. He always...  
  
"Guy, what's wrong?" Connie found herself asking. "What aren't you telling me? I have to know or...just tell me."  
  
Guy was silent, and she heard his breathing. If he told her, then what? Would she change her mind? She couldn't do that. That would be wrong for Guy AND Ken. But she had to know...what was wrong with Guy?  
  
"Stop asking me." Guy snapped. "Okay? Just shut up about what's wrong with me, and what's wrong with US. Because what is wrong with me, has nothing to do with YOU, or US."  
  
Connie's eyes flared in anger, and her hand gripped harder on the phone. "You're WRONG, Guy. It has a LOT to do with me. And even MORE to do with us. In fact, it has so much to do with us, there is about...about to be no MORE us."  
  
There was a long silence after this. "What do you mean?" Guy said in a strangled voice. Connie didn't say anything. "CONNIE. What, do you mean?"  
  
"I mean it's over Guy." Connie said. "First of all, you don't trust me enough to tell me your problems-"  
  
"That's not-"  
  
"Shut up!!" Connie exclaimed. "Second, you go through these stupid mood swings every time something is wrong!! And it makes it impossible to deal with you! You hear me?? IMPOSSIBLE."  
  
"I have a _REASON_ Connie." Guy said, his voice breaking.   
  
"Then WHAT is the reason, Guy?" Connie demanded. "TELL me."  
  
"If I tell you." Guy breathed. "Will you still break up with me?" Connie, again, did not say anything. "WILL you Connie?"  
  
"Yes." Connie mumbled.  
  
"Why?" Guy demanded.  
  
"Because I..." Connie felt tears pouring down her cheeks, her own voice sounding strangled. "Because I want to be with someone else."  
  
"...who?"  
  
"Ken." Connie said. "He...cares about me and I care about him and he..." Connie sighed. "He makes me feel like more than just your girlfriend. He makes me feel like I'm a SPECIAL person instead of just the girl he's been with since he was like...three years old." Connie sighed once more. "We kissed yesterday..."  
  
"...you kissed?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yesterday? YESTERDAY?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Before you broke up with me? Is this the thing, you're breaking up with me BECAUSE you kissed Ken?"  
  
"NO!" Connie yelled. "I'm breaking up with you for the reasons I told you! I kissed Ken because there was nothing more that I wanted!! Not then, and not now! I WANT TO BE WITH KEN."  
  
Guy was silent. "I think this conversation is over, Connie." He broke out. Connie knew he was crying. "You're getting what you need SO bad. Fine. We're over. We..." He let out a small sob that he tried to hide, but Connie knew was there. "We're DONE."  
  
Connie was crying more and more, and she didn't know why. Wasn't this what she WANTED? What was wrong with her? "Guy-"  
  
"You want to know something?" Guy snapped.  
  
"..what?"  
  
"Ken knows."  
  
Connie's face contorted into one of confusion. "Knows what?"  
  
"He knows my secret. He knows what I wont tell you. And he wont tell you either, because he promised. So either way, you're fucked aren't you? My secret isn't some stupid thirteen year old thing. My secret is something that makes me CRY at night." Guy let out a choked sob. He didn't try to hide it. "My secret really...has nothing to do with you, Connie. Okay? So don't worry." He breathed. "This is the first time you've ever made me cry, so don't worry. It has nothing to do with you that makes me cry at night."  
  
Connie breathed. "God, Guy..."  
  
"I'm going to fall in love with you." Guy said. "I know I will. No matter who you're with. When I'm older, and when I know what love is...because I've never felt like I really had it until Jake and the Ducks and you..."  
  
Connie's eyes shot open. Was he? Was he going to tell her? "What?"  
  
"I'm going to fall in love with you. And if you ever want me back, I'll be waiting like the pathetic lap dog I am."  
  
And then he hung up. And Connie just started to cry. Ken knew. Guy trusted him. She probably not only destroyed anything between her and Guy, but now Guy would no longer be friends, with Ken. She destroyed not only a life long relationship but TWO life long friendships.  
  
-------------  
  
Jake and Portman looked at each other warily, not knowing quite what to say. I mean, what would YOU say?   
  
"Guy?" Portman said tentivly. "Guy-man?" Guy glanced up at him. "Hey uh...maybe...maybe it'll blow over. She could call you tomorrow and say it was all a big mistake!"  
  
"No she wont." Guy mumbled. "If Ken is who she wants to be with than..." Guy shrugged. "Ken is who she wants to be with. But don't...don't tell anyone."  
  
Portman shook his head as Jake spoke up. "Guy." Jake said. "Guy come here." Guy stood up warily, and sat down next to his father, who put an arm roughly around his shoulders. "Guy, you have to understand. You're thirteen. There's plenty of time in life for..." he sighed. "For when you're going to fall in love. And if this happens, it...shit..." Jake didn't seem to know how to get his thoughts into actual words. Laurine had hated that.  
  
"Yeah?" Guy asked. Jake looked at him.  
  
"It'll be okay, Guy. Everything turns out fine. It will seem like it wont for the longest time but..." He pulled Guy closer. "But it will."  
  
Portman was silent, and placed a hand on Guy's shoulder, squeezing it in comfort. And all Guy could do was sniff, hold back his tears that were leaking out of his eyes, and bury his face into his father's shoulder.  
  
Ken knew. Connie wanted Ken. And Ken knew.  
  
Then Guy said, in a choked up and sobbing voice "Life is fucking ironic." He gasped out. "Isn't it?" He buried his face more into his father's shoulder. "Too fucking ironic."  
  
----------------  
  
Guy sat curled up in a ball on his bed in his room. Portman and Jake were out on the balcony, Guy could see them from his and Portman's room window. He had told them to leave him alone. He didn't want to do it- he really wanted to tell Jake everything. EVERYTHING. Including 'the secret'.   
  
Guy didn't know why, but he knew if he told now, something bad would happen. What if Max tracked him down and...and hurt him? Guy curled up more in a ball. First his mother became a different person, and Jesse wasn't coming to Eden...  
  
And now he'd lost Connie. He dropped his head further into the ball. How alone was he going to be? And why did he FEEL alone? He had Jake, and Portman, and Jesse and Ken and the OTHER Ducks.  
  
And he did have Connie. They could still be friends, couldn't they? COULDN'T they? Guy couldn't lose her as a friend...he just couldn't.  
  
But none the less, he felt alone. And none the less, he knew what he had to do. The moment he hung up the phone with Connie, he'd wanted to be with his mother, and tell her he was there for her. It was now Guy understood how utterly alone his mother must feel.  
  
He was going to go back to his mother.  
  
----------------  
  
Julie took a big breath after Connie told her the news. "You actually did it..."  
  
Connie nodded miserably. "Yeah. I did."  
  
Julie bit her lip. "It didn't go too well, did it? Is he mad at you?"  
  
Connie shook her head. "No. Just hurt. And he told me something..."  
  
Julie looked curious, but didn't pry. Connie didn't know which to tell her. That Guy's secret was with Ken, or that Guy told her he would fall in love with her, no matter who she was with. Both she wanted to keep to herself. But she found herself telling Julie that Ken knew.  
  
"Ken knows what's wrong with Guy."  
  
Julie looked surprised. "He DOES?"  
  
Connie nodded, as she felt tears come to her eyes. "Guy says that his secret...is the type of secret that keeps him awake. Keeps him awake and crying at night."  
  
Julie hung her head. "Oh God...I didn't know it was...THAT kind. I always thought maybe...you know." Julie sighed and then shrugged. "It was the kind of secret that boys OUR age have. You know Connie..." Julie looked at her. "Maybe it's better than Guy and you aren't together now. If he has a problem like that, for so long, a girlfriend is not something he should have. I don't mean to sound like a love doctor or anything-"  
  
"No it's okay. Go on."  
  
"Okay." Julie nodded. "But I think maybe...do you think we should tell Ken to tell us the secret? So we can help Guy?"  
  
Connie shook her head immediately. "No. Guy doesn't want him to. And Guy trusts Ken. I don't want them to stop being friends. This is enough to cause major tension in between them. Guy is keeping this secret for a reason. We shouldn't...shouldn't force it out of him or Ken or anybody."  
  
Julie sighed. "I guess you're right." She leaned forward and hugged Connie then. "You okay, Con-meister?"  
  
The nickname brought back memories of their first games, the moment she first gained the nickname from Averman and the guys, Guy and her, Guy being normal...  
  
And then Connie started to cry. "I don't know." She whimpered. "I feel like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders, but I don't think I ever wanted it lifted in the first place."  
  
Julie said nothing, just hugged her, and stroked her back.  
  
------------  
  
Guy coughed slightly and cleared his throat while the phone was ringing. He didn't know why he was doing this. Neither did Portman, or his father. But Guy knew now, for some reason-talking to Connie did it-, for some reason he knew. And when his mother picked up the phone, sounding breathless (she always did when she was trying not to cry) Guy knew that going back to mom was the right choice.  
  
He wanted to stay with Jake more than anything. But leaving mom alone with Max was something that Guy couldn't do anymore. He knew if he told Jake what went on in that house, Jake would call the cops. He'd save his mother, and Max would be gone.  
  
Guy didn't know why, but he didn't want to do that. His mother didn't want that. He'd tried so many times to call the police back when he was ten, and his mother just yelled and screamed and told him that he was horrible. Horrible for trying to take love away.  
  
Now Guy knew what his mother meant, but he still wanted Max gone. Forever. But if he couldn't get rid of Max, then he was going to be there to save his mother whenever Max almost got rid of her.  
  
"Mom." Guy said simply.  
  
"...Guy? Oh Guy, you called! I, I thought-"  
  
"I'm coming home."  
  
And then Guy listened while she cried and said she missed him so much. And she said it was lonely because Max had moved out (again). Guy didn't intend to let Max back in.  
  
"What happened mom?" Guy asked. "What did he do?"  
  
"The neighbors heard." Laurine said. "And they didn't arrest him, but he's supposed to stay way from the house. He didn't mean to...to hurt me." Laurine said. "And I didn't mean to yell."  
  
"Everything will be fine, mom." Guy said. "I'm coming home tomorrow. You'll see me soon."  
  
"Oh Guy." His mother sobbed. "I've missed you so much."  
  
"I know mom." Guy said. "Everything will be fine. I'll be home. Okay?"  
  
---------------  
  
"You're really coming back!?" Averman said on the phone to Guy, Charlie, Luis, Fulton and Adam all listening near by (all in Charlie's room being lazy. "You never told us you would come back! Here we thought you'd stay with your dad! Max moved out, did you hear?"  
  
"Yeah." Guy said into the phone. "Yeah. I think they're finally pulling through with a divorce."  
  
"I never knew they fought." Averman said, shrugging. "You learn something new every day. When you coming back?"  
  
"I'm taking the plane tomorrow. I should see you all on Friday."  
  
"We'll see him on Friday." Averman said to the others and they all gave the thumbs up, and then Averman went back to the phone. "Great! How's your dad?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"How's Portman?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"You talk to Connie?"  
  
"...yeah. Yeah I did."  
  
"How's she?" Averman listened and Guy didn't said anything. Didn't even breath. "Guy?" Averman asked. "How's Connie?"  
  
"Great!" Guy burst out enthusiastically. VERY enthusiastically. "Just peachy! You know, I have to go. I have lots of packing to do. See you guys on Friday."  
  
"Right." Averman nodded. "Bye Hat-boy." When Averman hung up, he started to laugh.   
  
"What's so funny?" Fulton asked.  
  
"They're having another 'lovers' quarrel. Should blow over in a day or two, knowing them."  
  
"Guy and Connie..." Charlie said, throwing a basketball against the wall and catching it (ignoring his mother shout about it being too loud and why didn't they go outside instead of staying inside for two chapters and ruining her wall) "Are the weirdest. Anyhow, lets go outside and practice."  
  
"Good idea!" Adam said with enthusiasm, and raced out the door. Fulton rolled his eyes.  
  
"He's like a cheerleader. Really, maybe he should quit Hockey and go for the baton and skirt."  
  
"Nah." Luis shook his head. "Needs better legs."  
  
Averman and Charlie burst out laughing with Luis and Fulton as they walked out of the house, and when Adam asked them what was so funny when he changed into shorts due to the heat, they didn't tell him. Just pointed at his legs and laughed.  
  
------------------  
  
"Sorry dad."  
  
Jake ran his hands through his hair. He hadn't seen this one coming. He really hadn't seen it. From the sounds of it, Jake thought Laurine and Guy didn't get along. That Guy was unhappy in that environment. He would have to convince Guy to call her all the time. But here was Guy, telling him he was going home early to his mother.  
  
And though Jake wanted to grab his legs and beg him to stay, he knew he wouldn't. "It's alright, Guy." He grinned, ruffling Guy's infamous hat (which made him smile broadly, since it was his, and so was the Cats shirt Guy was wearing.) "I understand."  
  
"You really don't mind?" Guy asked. "I'll visit you when I can. I just think mom may miss me. I should really see her."  
  
"As you should." Jake nodded, fake enthusiasm. 'What kind of parent _AM_ I?' Jake demanded in his thoughts. 'Don't be selfish! Laurine needs him just as much as YOU do. LOVES him just as much as you do, Jake! What Guy decides is up to him...  
  
up to him...'  
  
"This is real great of you dad." Guy said. "Real great."  
  
"Yeah." Portman said in a low, sad voice from across the room, where he was leaning against the wall, arms folded. "Great."  
  
Jake shot him a look, and Portman just rolled his eyes. "So...I'll ride you to the airport tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks." Guy smiled. Jake's smile. "I'm gonna run down to the Drug store and get some gum so my ears wont pop."  
  
"You have that problem?" Jake asked, ruffling a hand through his hair again as he watched Guy head for the door. "Must've gotten it from Laurine. _I_ never had that."  
  
"No dad." Guy shook his head, and looked back at him. "I get everything from you." Guy opened the door, and before he closed it, spat out "Thank fucking God."  
  
As he closed the door, Jake looked at Portman quizzically. "They don't get along, Laurine and Guy. Or SOMETHING'S up." Jake swore. "I'm such an asshole."  
  
"No you're not." Portman said. "Guy really...fuck, Jake. He loves you. A lot. He's doing this for his own reasons. Guy does this a lot." Portman walked over, and slapped a hand on Jake's shoulder. "Guy does his own thing, and when he does, he makes sure no one is around to get hurt. It's frustrating for us Ducks because we're his best friends and all he does is push us away."  
  
Jake sighed. "I did that too." Jake mumbled. "Laurine didn't want to handle it anymore. Maybe if I'd been more open with how I felt..." He took a deep and shaky breath. "She wouldn't have filed the divorce."  
  
"Maybe." Portman shrugged. "But it's happened. Don't dwell on the past, Jake. You'll just end up feeling like the world is crashing in on you."  
  
----------------  
  
Ken swore at himself as he lay on his back in bed, staring up at the ceiling. What was he THINKING? _KISSING_ Connie! Kissing her! How could he do that to Guy? How could he do that to HER? How could he do it to the both of them?  
  
"What is WRONG with me?" Ken moaned. And Ken kept thinking about the secret in Guy's family he had found out that day. About his step-father. And it just made Ken feel sick to his stomach. He felt as if he had done to Guy what people had been doing to him his whole life.  
  
Betraying.  
  
Why did Ken have to feel this way about Connie? Why couldn't it be some girl who _wasn't_ a Duck? Some Mary Sue or something! Why did he have to do this? "It's all my fault...fuck."  
  
"Don't use that language, Kenny."  
  
Ken sat up like a shot and stared at his mother, who had just entered the room. She sighed, and sat down on the foot of his bed. "Mom!" Ken exclaimed.  
  
"You don't usually speak that way, Kenny." His mother said. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing." Ken snapped. "Nothing at all." Ken swore in his mind. Him and his mother were amazingly close. He could tell her anything (minus Guy's secret, which he could never tell because he promised) and he considered her one of his best friends. His mother was everything, and amazing. Why snap at her?  
  
"Kenny." His mother rubbed her temples. "Please tell me. Does it have something to do with Connie?"  
  
"How did you know?" Ken mumbled.  
  
"You've been talking about her an awful lot. Her and her your other friend Julie. But you speak about Connie differently than you do about Julie and all the other Ducks."  
  
"I kissed her mom." Ken said in a shaky voice. "I kissed Guy's girl. He's one of my best friends. And I kissed his girlfriend. And she's...she's one of my best friends too." He looked at her. "What if I broke them up. Guy is...Guy is having a tough time and this would...break his heart."  
  
'God.' Ken thought. 'Oh please God, please don't hurt Guy. Please let him be fine. Please say I didn't ruin anything. Please let everyone be fine. I didn't mean to hurt anything.'  
  
"Kenny." His mother said. She opened her arms. "Come here." Ken let out a shuddering sigh, but did not cry as he let himself sigh into his mother's arms as she comforted him like a baby.   
  
"I betrayed him, mom." Ken said quietly. "Both of them."  
  
"Kenny." His mother repeated. "As much as you think it's your fault, it's not. I'm sure you didn't kiss her all by yourself." She stroked his hair. "And sometimes these things happen. It's a shame it had to start when you were thirteen."  
  
"Mommy." Ken mumbled. "Tell me what to do..."  
  
"I can help. But I can't make you." She sighed. "Life deals you hard cards. And you can't just toss them over your shoulder because they're bad, Kenny. You have to play them. And deal with consequences. You may win one hand, you may lose another. But in the end, everybody can and will win." She rubbed his back, and pushed him slightly away, her hands on his shoulders. "You must talk to both of them. To Connie. To Guy. And it will be hard. But you must. And everything in the end..." She smiled. "Will be just fine."  
  
Ken smiled a little. "Thanks mommy." He mumbled, sniffing, wiping his eyes with the back of his palm. "I guess I have to face the music." Emmy Wu kissed her son's forehead, and put a hand on his cheek.   
  
She left the room then, and Ken stared at the door after her. Yes. Face the music. He hoped their wouldn't be any breaking guitars or snapping strings.   
  
Hoped. He didn't count on it.  
  
END PART 16  
  
(This part was SOOOOOOO depressing. GOD. But it had to be written. There are more depressing parts during Eden Hall. Not many of them are during D3. One or two maybe. But this part had to be written. I'm not sure when the next part is going to be set. You may not see part 17 until this coming Saturday. I will try my best. Hope you liked it!) 


	21. Do You Promise Not To Tell?

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 17: Do You Promise Not To Tell?  
By Funkiechick  
  
(IMPORTANT NOTE READ PLEASE: This part is exactly a year after the last, the summer before Eden Hall. I am answering some questions:  
  
No. Portman did not stay with Julie over the school year. In fact he called her once and then went on to wherever Portman was at the beginning of D3. I forget. Please tell me in the review. Thus, Julie has assumed that she and Portman have broken up. I also need to watch D3 again. Maybe I will tonight. Oh yes, the chapter part is named after a line from the Beatles song, 'Do You Want To Know A Secret?'.  
  
Yes. Ken and Connie are still together.  
  
Yes. The Averman add-on is during the D3 series. Not sure when, but it's coming.  
  
No. I will not write a lot about Linda. I have nothing against her, but something about her doesn't click with my writing.  
  
The last three choices for Guy to be in:  
  
Grease  
West Side Story  
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat  
  
After this part or the next part I'll decide. I don't really like this part though. The next one is when Eden Hall starts up. God, I wish I liked this part, but I don't. Anyhow, I hope YOU do. Enjoy!)  
  
----------------  
  
  
Charisma, this part is dedicated to you for being so so so so so so soooo awesome.  
  
-----  
  
Guy yawned steadily as he stuck a piece of toast in his mouth, and then began writing a note to his mother. God, he couldn't believe he'd be going to Eden in two weeks. It was a scary thought. Naturally, Charlie had turned into Caption Duck Overdrive ever since the summer began, and now that they were all in the area, he was holding as many practices as it was humanly possible. It would be the first time the Ducks saw each other in about a summer, so Guy had thought Charlie would arrange a big party. But no, instead, a crazy practice.  
  
It was 8 in the morning. AND Guy was an hour late. That's how psycho Charlie was getting. Guy decided he really needed to get layed. Not that he was one to talk. Ken and Connie were still going strong.  
  
No one knew about them. Guy had conveniently not told a soul that he and Connie and broken up. Only Portman, Ken, Connie and Julie it seemed, were in on what was going on. And knowing Luis- who could track a single girl from a mile away- he would pick it up too.  
  
Everyone knew now that Portman would not be attending Eden Hall. Julie was furious. And she demanded Guy to tell her why he didn't say anything when he knew the whole time. Guy just said he swore he wouldn't, and that would have to be enough for her.  
  
Finally, Guy finished the note, grabbed his roller blades, helmet and stick, and left the house. His mother was still fast asleep. With no Max. There hadn't been any sign of him since Guy came home, thank God. It was great for his nerves. Guy was feeling- for once- like a normal kid. Jake and him still talked as much as they could, and Guy had visited him for a month earlier in the summer.  
  
Guy rollerbladed down his street, making it to Charlie's in record time, and seeing that him, Adam and Charlie were the only ones there at that time. "Hey Germaine." Charlie waved as Guy skidded to a stop on the driveway.  
  
"Hey." Guy answered. He slapped Adam on the back. "Long time no see, cake eater."  
  
"Long time no see you, Hat-boy." Adam grinned back. "Lets just practice some passing until everyone else shows up."  
  
"We're going to the park when they do." Charlie explained, passing off the street hockey puck to Guy, who slid it easily over to Adam. "Averman should be here soon."  
  
"Is Connie coming?" Guy asked casually, skating circles around Adam. Adam shrugged and looked over at Charlie.  
  
"Yeah." Charlie nodded. "She didn't call you?"  
  
Guy just shrugged and continued skating around Adam, who was looking irritated. "Guy, would you stop? You're making me dizzy."  
  
"Sorry, princess." Guy replied, and stopping next to Charlie. "You've grown."  
  
"Thanks?" Charlie grinned sheepishly. "I'm so glad you noticed."  
  
"You used to be like...this big." Guy set his hand at his waist. "Now you're almost as tall as me. Growth spurts and puberty are beautiful things."  
  
"That and my voice breaking." Adam rolled his eyes, and Charlie laughed. Guy started skating around the both of them then, and Charlie observed him.  
  
"You look sort of older too." Charlie commented. Guy glanced up as he continued to skate around.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Guy asked.  
  
"You're just a total HUNK, Guy." They all glanced over to see Averman skid to a stop. "I think I want you."  
  
"Ha ha." Guy said bluntly. "Your wit astounds me."  
  
"I try." Averman grinned. He looked over at Charlie. "Dwayne, Connie, Ken and Russ'll be late. They're getting a ride together."  
  
"Fulton is really pissed off." Adam suddenly brought up, more to Charlie. "Is he coming?"  
  
Charlie nodded. "Just 'cause Portman isn't, doesn't mean Fulton's giving up on hockey. That wouldn't be like him."  
  
"Have you guys SEEN Eden?" Averman said. Guy nodded.  
  
"That place is huge. I swear to God we're gonna get eaten alive." He said. "At least Portman is SAFE in Chicago."  
  
"Don't you even JOKE about him being there." Charlie snapped. "It sucks."  
  
They were all silent a moment until they saw Julie and Goldberg come over the hill and wave at them. "Hey goalies!!!" Adam shouted out. Julie waved back, and Goldberg gave a thumbs up as they came to a halt in front of the others.  
  
"I see we have a new caption Blood." Julie smiled, patting Charlie on the back. Charlie did not retort however, because he, like the rest of them, had noticed that Julie's chest size had grown a considerable amount since the last time they'd seen her...  
  
"You've grown." Averman commented, trying to sound innocent. Julie glared at him, and shoved him to the ground.  
  
"I'm really getting sick of hearing that." She snapped. "So if I hear ONE comment about my boobs you're all dead."  
  
The bluntity caused everyone to shut up, just as Luis came over the hill. Slowly. "It's about time you caught up." Goldberg said as Luis stopped very carefully next to him (grabbing Julie's shoulder for support.)  
  
"I couldn't very well go FAST could I?" Luis snapped. "I would have gone flying into the next county."  
  
"Point taken." Charlie said. Averman grinned, and slapped Luis on the back.   
  
"Don't you worry Miami." Averman said. "We got your back." Luis nodded, and glanced over his shoulder. "Waiting for Connie?"  
  
"I'm way over Connie." Luis said. "Just wondering when we can get this practice going. Besides." Luis nodded at Guy. "Connie's your girl, eh?"  
  
Guy just sort of nodded oddly, and didn't say anything. Julie looked sharply at him, but also didn't say a word, for which Guy was grateful. They all starting passing around the street puck as they waited for Russ, Connie, Ken and Dwayne to show up.  
  
"So we're minus two ducks." Charlie said, passing to Adam. "Which sucks."  
  
"And rhymes." Adam told him, passing to Guy.  
  
"Portman has his reasons." Guy said. "Right, Fulton?" He passed to Fulton. Fulton just nodded as he passed to Averman. The pattern went on until they saw an old, lime green Honda civic covered in bumper stickers come over the hill and park next to the driveway. Connie was the first to come out, wearing jean shorts, a gray t-shirt, her hair in the traditional braid, and her stick and rollerblades.  
  
Guy gulped.  
  
Next came Russ (who gave Connie a whack on the butt to hurry up, which made her hit him hard on the shoulder, laughing), then Dwayne.   
  
"Ken's saying goodbye to his mom." Connie explained, as they waited for Ken to emerge from the car. And when he did, Charlie, Guy, Fulton, Goldberg and Averman's jaws dropped to the ground.  
  
"Bye mom." Ken said. "Love you."  
  
"Love you too." She said through the open window, and then smiled at the Ducks. "Have fun."  
  
"We will Ms. Wu." Connie smiled. Ms. Wu smiled back, and then drove off. Ken turned to the Ducks, and noted the staring. He raised his hands.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're fucking HUGE." Fulton said. Ken rolled his eyes.   
  
"Yeah. And I'm still the scrawny little bash bro. Believe me." He grinned at Connie, who grinned back. Luis picked it up. No one (who didn't know) else seemed to.  
  
"Nice vegetarian bumper stickers." Julie said to Ken. Ken rolled his eyes.  
  
"That's what everyone says. My mom and I are strictly herbivorous." He shrugged.   
  
"Well?" Russ asked. "Lets play hockey!!"  
  
Everyone cheered as they set off, blading to the park, clowning around. Russ was leading the way, cheering the loudest, and beckoning to all that they better get out of the way as the Ducks rollerbladed to the park. Charlie wasn't close behind, being the natural born leader that he was.  
  
Guy couldn't help but smile. The Ducks were back. Missing a few, but at least the rest were together.  
  
"The quack attack is back, Jack!" Guy said, shoving playfully at Averman. "Sound familiar?"  
  
Averman laughed. "That will remain in my mind forever." Averman made a funny, contorted face. "'I was THIS close!'" He said, making his voice break as he imitated Guy.  
  
"Oh shut up." Guy rolled his eyes, and glanced up at Ken and Connie. They were both laughing. And fooling around. Luis skated up to him then, as Averman resumed his spot next to Goldberg.  
  
"When did you break up?"  
  
Guy glanced at Luis. "What?"  
  
"You and Connie. When did you break up?"  
  
Guy sighed. "A while ago, okay? I don't want to talk about it." Luis shrugged as Guy skated off ahead. Either way, Guy wasn't going to let his fizzled relationship with Connie ruin his years at Eden Hall.  
  
---------------  
  
Ted Orion looked over his files as he learned more about the team he would be coaching in the next four years of his life. They were impressive, he had to admit. But he wouldn't be surprised if they were way out of practice. They looked like a group of clowns.  
  
"How's it going?"  
  
Ted looked over at his wife, Charisse, who was leaning against the door frame. "Not bad. I'm not working half as hard as all the other teachers are. Just looking at my new team."  
  
Charisse glanced over his shoulder. "You've got two girls on the team. Is that allowed?"  
  
"We had to twist a few wrists." Ted answered. "Gaffney was easier to get, because she spends all her time in goal. Moreau was a lot more difficult." He sighed. "They don't think a girl should be out on the ice, but she has real talent. I finally let them agree, just because she's a great player from what I saw at the games."  
  
"Hm." His wife nodded, looking through the files. "You do realize, this Connie is 5'4?"  
  
"I left that part out." Ted said. "I'm also thinking of putting Adam Banks on Varsity. He's by far the best player on the Ducks. Too good for them."  
  
"Isn't that a tad harsh, Ted?" Charisse asked. "They're all friends, aren't they?"  
  
"That's hockey." Ted shrugged. "Banks deserves the opportunity."  
  
"Then who's going to be caption?"  
  
"Banks isn't the caption, for one thing." Ted replied, looking through the papers. "Conway, Charlie. He is. But Banks it the better player. However, I'm going to give the title to someone else. MY opinion of what should be caption. I am the coach now."  
  
"Who do you have in mind?"   
  
"Well." Ted said. "Conway MIGHT keep the C, but I also have in mind..." He glanced over. "Mendoza, Moreau, Germaine or Averman." He shrugged. "I think Averman. He's a good skater, and good on defense. That's what matters."  
  
"Of course." Charisse rolled her eyes, smiling. "Want to put Jenna to bed?"  
  
"On it." Ted said, getting up from his seat. He gave his wife a kiss, and then left to put his daughter to bed, and read her a story. Charisse smiled, and couldn't help but think that this was going to be a wonderful year.  
  
-------------  
  
"This is going to be a shitty year."  
  
Guy and Averman burst out laughing at Russ' comment as Charlie gave his lecture while they rollerbladed off from the park, finished with the practice. "I thought you were looking forward to a scholarship." Averman asked.  
  
"Don't talk so loud." Guy snapped. "If Spazway hears us talking about anything besides hockey, he'll kick our ass."  
  
"I DO want a scholarship." Russ mumbled. "But Conway has turned into another Caption Blood."  
  
"Do I hear people NOT TALKING ABOUT HOCKEY?" Charlie demanded, skidding to a stop in front of Guy, Russ and Averman. Averman eeped, and Guy tried to skate away.  
  
"Leave us alone, Spazway." Luis said, being led slowly down the asphalt by Fulton. "We're tired."  
  
"That just means we're out of SHAPE." Charlie snapped. "We-"  
  
He was cut off as Adam shoved him, and Charlie went flying down the hill. Everyone burst out laughing as they skated by him. Charlie couldn't help but laugh and shout obscenities as he stood up and raced after them.  
  
"Let's say we all hang out at my place." Adam said, as they skated along. Everyone looked nervous. "My dad has lightened up, I promise."  
  
"Why not?" Connie said. "We can rent some videos, have a party. Duck reunion!"   
  
"Ducks fly!" Julie hollered, and she and Connie did a high five. "Show us to the Banks hood."  
  
Adam laughed as he led the way to his slightly posh neighborhood. Connie and Julie continued joking around as they followed, and Charlie finally lightened up as he helped Luis along, giving Fulton a break.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Guy snapped his head to the side as Ken started to skate beside him. The group was up ahead, and Guy shrugged his shoulders in greeting. "Hi Kenny."  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Nothing." Guy replied, and he quickly glanced at Ken. "How's Connie?"  
  
Ken ignored the bitterness in Guy's voice. "She's just fine." He said. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm okay, I guess." Guy replied. "If you want to know, my step-dad doesn't live with us anymore."  
  
Ken smiled then. A real smile. "I'm glad, Guy. Really. I've been...really worried about you." He sighed. "But you're probably too mad at me to care, am I right?"  
  
"I'm not mad at you." Guy said. "I'm just exceedingly jealous."  
  
Ken glanced up slowly, as they neared Adam's house. "Guy, you can't tell anyone."  
  
Guy raised an eyebrow. "That I'm jealous of you?" Ken shook his head. "Then what?"  
  
"About me and Connie." Ken said. "Neither of us want anyone to know right now. You know, I know, Connie knows, and Julie knows-"  
  
"And Portman." Guy added. "I told him."  
  
Ken shrugged. "Well, we'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else. Connie and I don't want to be public yet. We have a lot of things to work out."  
  
"Yeah yeah." Guy said. "Believe me. It's not something I want to advertise to the world."  
  
Ken was silent, then nodded. "I guess that was stupid of me to say." They stopped at Adam's house, as Averman told them to hurry up. "We'll be just a sec." Ken said, shutting the door in Averman's face. He looked at Guy then. "I'm really sorry."  
  
Guy couldn't say anything, but was surprised when Ken hugged him roughly, boyishly, and then pulled back. "What the fuck?" Guy blinked.  
  
"I'm sorry for hurting you, okay?" Ken asked. "I'd never hurt anyone. I just-"  
  
"Ken." Guy interrupted. "It's really...okay."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They were silent then, and finally went inside. Mr. Banks formally told them everyone else was downstairs, and they trodded down to hear whoops and whistles.  
  
"Woah, Connie! Watch out, Ken might steal your boy!" Goldberg laughed. Connie rolled her eyes, and went back to talking to Averman and Julie, who she was sitting in between. Guy took a spot next to Luis, and Ken sat next to Averman.  
  
Adam was flipping through movies. "We have nothing but sucky romantic comedies, I swear to God." He muttered. "Anyone want to go to the video store and grab something?"  
  
"Why can't you go? I'll come." Charlie said. Adam shook his head.  
  
"Mom thinks it's impolite to leave the house when we have guests." He said. "You guys know the video store. One of you go."  
  
"I will." Connie said. "Anyone wanna come?"  
  
"Three guesses." Goldberg joked, but Ken stood up.  
  
"I'll come." He said. Then glanced at Guy. "Or do you want alone time?"  
  
'How long are we gonna keep THEM a secret?' Guy wondered. "Nah. I'm tired. Have a blast."  
  
Luis again, was the only one to pick up on anything as Connie and Ken left. It was a few minutes later as everyone lounged around talking that Adam swore. "Crap! I forgot to tell Connie the video store moved a block away!"  
  
"You better run after them then." Guy said, quickly. Luis raised an eyebrow at him.   
  
Adam nodded, and bolted up the stairs. He would only be gone a minute, so his mother shouldn't complain.  
  
--------------  
  
Connie and Ken walked hand in hand along the block, smiling. "Thank God I can have five minutes alone with you."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Ken answered. "We'll have to sit through God knows how many movies, and NOT hold hands or anything."  
  
"Do you think anyone knows?" Connie asked. Ken shook his head. "Good."  
  
"When do you think we should tell? If we do?"  
  
"I don't know." Connie answered. "It all depends. I just know I don't want to be seen as..." Connie sighed. "As someone's girlfriend, and that's all."  
  
"You are way more than just a girlfriend, Connie." Ken said. They stopped walking as Ken shyly put his hands on her hips. He was still new to this. The only time he had had something even CLOSE to a non-platonic relationship with a girl was when he was kissed by his first figure skating partner, Dana, in the fifth grade.  
  
She smiled up at him, and Ken grinned. "I'm so short." She said out of nowhere, and they both laughed.   
  
"Yeah well. Now you know how I felt." Ken said, and Connie set her hands on his shoulders, sending shivers up his spine. "Connie-"  
  
"Yeah...?"  
  
"I think I'm gonna kiss you."  
  
Connie smiled. "Don't let me stop you. You don't HAVE to warn me, I'm your girlfriend."   
  
It was just what Ken did. He'd only kissed Connie once since their first next to the fountain. Ken was shy at this sort of thing. The second kiss had been at Julie's house when Julie had been off to make more popcorn. And it had been small. And he asked her if he could, then.  
  
Ken leaned down slightly, pausing, and Connie closed her eyes. Finally Ken kissed her, and she leaned up, pushing their lips more together.   
  
"Oh my GOD!!"  
  
They broke apart immediately to see Adam staring at them, eyes wide, mouth hung open, standing about a meter and a half away.  
  
"Uh..." Ken said. "We uh..."  
  
"We can explain!" Connie said.  
  
"Does GUY know about this, Connie?" Adam snapped. "Ken?"  
  
"Yes." Ken answered back. Adam looked more than a little surprised. "Guy knows."  
  
"Wha?" Adam asked.  
  
"Guy and I broke up, Adam. We broke up the summer after The Games." Connie said. "Guy knows all about Ken and I."  
  
"Did you break up BECAUSE of Ken and you?"  
  
"Yes. Ken and I started to...be more than friends, so I broke up with Guy. Then Ken and I started to..." Connie bit her lip. "You know. Date."  
  
Adam didn't know what to say. He just HAD to get caught up in the screwed up world of Connie and Guy. "Why haven't you two told anyone?"  
  
"We don't want to." Ken answered. "We'd really appreciate it if you didn't say anything, Banks."  
  
"Please." Connie said, coming up to him, and pleading. "PLEASE don't tell anyone. I promise I'll give you a full explanation soon. Just-"  
  
"I wont tell anyone." Adam said quickly. "How about you two go back, and _I_ go to the video store. Okay? And I wont tell anyone."  
  
Ken and Connie nodded, obviously uncomfortable, as they went back towards Adams place. Adam just shook his head. "I have one WEIRD team." He said, and thus walked to video store, and proceeded to rent the most unromantic thing he could find-  
  
Monty Python.  
  
END OF PART 17  
  
(I don't know why I didn't like this part. I hope you guys did. MONTY PYTHON ROCKS.) 


	22. The Brother Loves David Bowie

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 18: The Brother Loves David Bowie  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Wow. It's been a long while since I updated. I've been very busy lately. VERY busy. I'm in a musical right now, and rehersals are about a million times a week-which is okay because I enjoy them. Anyhow, here's the part.)  
  
"Look at this!!!" Charlie exclaimed angrily, dumping his homework onto Adam's bed. "LOOK."  
  
Adam glanced at the pile of books, and then looked at Guy, who shrugged. "What about it?" Guy asked. Charlie snorted and rolled his eyes. "What? What'd I say?"  
  
"The wrong thing." Adam answered, and then looked through Charlie's books. "Wow, you only have science and history? I have two more subjects of homework than you do tonight. You must have good teachers."  
  
"GOOD TEACHERS!?" Charlie burst out. "Are you _KIDDING_ me? They're all from HELL." Charlie folded his arms across his chest and stamped his foot (which strongly reminded Guy of a ten year old). "This sucks. I hate this school already."  
  
"Come ON, Charlie." Guy rolled his eyes. "We've been here for a DAY. Wait until hockey practice before you judge anything. Besides, homework is part of GRADUATING."  
  
Charlie fixed his glare on Guy then. "I wasn't _talking_ to you, Germaine. I was talking to ADAM."  
  
Guy flushed, embaressed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It means I've never confided my feelings in you before, so why should I now? This isn't even your ROOM."  
  
Guy stared at Charlie a moment until Adam broke in. "Calm down, Charlie. The only reason you're taking your anger out on Guy is because he's the most innocent bystander out of innocent bystanders. Leave him alone."  
  
"You're BOTH idiots." Charlie snapped. And with that, he stormed out of the dorm room,, and slammed the door. Silence followed this tantrum, until Adam spoke up once more.  
  
"Ignore him."  
  
"You don't have to remind me." Guy groaned. "Dear GOD, what's HIS problem?"  
  
"He's still sore about Bombay." Adam answered. "Charlie has trouble adjusting. He needs routine to make himself feel secure."  
  
"No kidding." Guy folded his arms. "Thank God I'M not like that."  
  
"You are to a degree." Adam replied, looking through a magazine. "But I wont get into that."  
  
Guy stared at Adam then. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"No. Tell me."  
  
"It's nothing." Adam said, flipping pages. "Forget I said anything, okay?"  
  
"No, I wont." Guy snapped. "If it's ABOUT me, don't I have a right to know?"  
  
"You'd take it the wrong way." Adam said. Guy stared long and hard at Adam, and folded his arms across his chest in much the same fashion that Charlie had done only a few minutes before.  
  
"Tell. Me." Guy said, his voice low. Adam looked at him, considered, and then sighed.  
  
"Okay, fine." He turned to look at him. "You see, YOUR problem is you crave change because you're never satisfied with the way things are. HOWEVER you can't seem to let go of the fact that you and Connie are splitsville."  
  
Guy stared. "How did you know about me and Connie?"  
  
"The truth?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well for one thing-" Adam ticked off one finger. "She blew you off this morning. And I mean REALLY blew you off. And for another-" He ticked off a second finger. "I saw her and Ken at the WRONG moment."  
  
Guy stared at him, and then hung his head. "Everyone else has figured it out, haven't they?"  
  
"Oddly enough, no." Adam shrugged. "Guess everyone's too busy thinking about the changes we're going through."  
  
Guy shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I guess."  
  
Adam sighed, and then glanced down at his magazine, letting the silence grow uncomfortable. Him and Guy had never really had a lot in common. And now that they were getting older...not to mention a few things Adam was slowly figuring out about himself.  
  
"Is it hard?" Adam suddenly asked Guy, who seemed to be about to leave.  
  
Guy looked confused. "What? What's hard?"  
  
"Ken and Connie?"  
  
Guy snorted. "What the fuck do YOU think?"  
  
And with that, he left the room. Adam blinked, taken aback by Guy's bluntness. But then he remembered Guy's adjustment habits, and let it go-not taking it personally.  
  
  
Jesse heaved a long sigh as he dumped his books on the kitchen table, and sank down into a chair. Terry came into the room them, a bagel in his mouth.  
  
"Hmfow hmfwas it?"  
  
Jesse looked up at him. "What?"  
  
Terry took the bagel out of his mouth and swallowed. "How was it? Your first day of school without the Ducks I mean?" He bit back into his bagel.  
  
Jesse shrugged, and then flopped his head back onto the table. "Weird. Boring. At least Tammy was there to remind me to 'study.'"  
  
"She steal treating you like you're her husband, then?" Terry asked, handing him a bagel. "Eat."  
  
"Thanks." Jesse said, grabbing the bagel, and taking a big bite. "And leave Tammy out of this conversation. I'm not prepared to talk about her or her new boyfriend."  
  
Terry grinned. "Yeah? What's his name?"  
  
Jesse made a disgusted face. "GREGORY."  
  
"She'll get over him and come crawling back to you any day now." Terry said, patting Jesse's head. "Don't worry."  
  
"Yeah yeah." Jesse shrugged. "I know. Get me a cookie."  
  
"Yes your highness." Terry bowed, and opened the cuboards. Jesse sighed once more. It was too WEIRD. He still couldn't get over the Ducks not being THERE for him. Laughing at stupid things, clowning around. It was unreal.  
  
He didn't know if he would be able to deal. He might just cave in and beg to get into Eden. It wasn't too late...  
  
He would just have to see how things went.  
  
  
(Note: I haven't watched D3 in about...A LONG TIME. And this is my only two hours of free time for about four months people, or maybe the whole fucking year. I am a very busy person, so be happy with this. I DON'T REMEMBER ALL OF THE PRACTICE OR ALL OF THE MOVIE. But I'll stay as true to it as I can. Thanks for being so understanding ^_^)  
  
THUMP!!  
  
Julie and Russ looked blankly down at Guy, who had pretty much fainted in a heap on the floor once they began walking back to their dorms after their first hockey practice.  
  
"Are uh..." Julie scratched the side of her head. "Are you okay?"  
  
Guy grunted, and held up his hand in a thumbs-up signal. "It's cool..." Julie winced and looked over at Russ, who kind of shrugged as if to say 'he SAID he was cool' and then stepped over Guy, and paused in front of him. He shook his head, sighed, and then bent down. "You take his legs."  
  
Julie blinked. "Uh, right."  
  
Thus, Russ pushed Guy onto his back, pulled his hands under Guy's armpits as Julie took Guy's ankles, and they hoisted him up.  
  
"WHAT are you DOING?"  
  
They turned to see Connie staring at them, her mouth slightly hung open. Ken was standing behind her with Charlie and Fulton- who looked highly amused. Russ grinned. "Taking sleeping beauty to her chambers." He answered her.  
  
Connie walked up to them, and looked down at Guy, who took the risk of winking up at her ."Wuss." Connie snapped, and rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bed."  
  
"Goodnight, Connie." Ken said, his hands in his pockets. Connie smiled back at him.   
  
"G'night everyone." She said, and then sort of trotted off, her ponytail swinging as she went.  
  
"Whew." Charlie said, elbowing Ken. "You and Guy are pathetic."  
  
Ken glanced at Charlie. "I'M the pathetic one?"  
  
"Hey!" Guy snapped. "Don't make fun of me. I'M TIRED, DAMNIT. Fuck, I'm so tired I don't know what I'm TALKING about...giddy...giddy."  
  
"Right." Fulton said, patting Guy on the head, then looking at Russ and Julie. "Want any help carrying him up?"  
  
"We're good." Russ said. "Julie?"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"I'll follow you." Ken said. "We room together." (Guy took this moment to start singing 'This is GROUND CONTROL to MAJOR TOM...you've really made the graa-ay-YADE!')  
  
"Sounds like a plan." Russ said. "And we're off!"  
  
"Guy, shut up..."  
  
"AND THE PAPERS WANT TO KNOW WHICH SHIRTS YOU WEAR-HAIR-AIR!!!!"  
  
Once again, everyone at Eden Hall considered whether bringing the Ducks to their habitat was a wise decision.  
  
END OF PART 18  
  
(I DO realize how short and pointless this part was. But I had to indicate how Charlie was changing without delving too much into it. And I had to finish soon so I could get back to my busy life. Have no idea when next part will be, it all depends. Love you all, R&R!) 


	23. Both Sides Now

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 19: Both Sides Now  
By Funkiechick  
  
(HA HA. Bet you guys thought you'd never see anymore of THIS story, did you? Well, for a while I didn't think so either. But I was thinking the other day and when it comes to fanfiction, finishing Breaking Hazel is at the top of my list, then Blackbird, and then About Time. I want to get going on Blackbird and About Time, but I can't really do so until this is finished. I have a long way to go, but I'll be able to update more once my schedual is a bit less busy. That will happen as the Holiday season comes nearer. Also, speaking of the holiday season, my annual Holiday fanfics are going to be ready after December 10th. I'll have about three Mighty Ducks, and for those of you who read my other stuff, I'll have about four Harry Potter, two Final Fantasy, maybe three, and perhapes even a Knight's Tale fic. It all depends on how my schedual works. Also, PEOPLE, I REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHAT MUSICAL GUY IS IN BECAUSE I LOST THE RESULTS. So put that in your review. Next chapter will come out, I don't know when. Depends when I'm free. I'm staying up late to write this and probably wont even finish it tonight. But you can't do much about that can you? =). Oh yeah, and the title of this chapter is named after a Joni Mitchell song. Enjoy.)  
  
"Your mom is pretty."  
  
Ken looked up from looking under his bed, to see Connie flipping through his family photo album, pausing at his particular favorite snapshot. It was a nice picture of his mother and him last Christmas morning, taken by his Aunt Beth. Connie looked up at him from the picture and smiled. Ken smiled back sheepishly, and sat down on the floor next to her.  
  
"She is, isn't she?" Ken leaned his hand over, and pointed at the odd looking christmas tree in tha backround of the photograph. "That's a plastic tree, by the way. Mom and I are hardcore environmentalists. We've had that tree since mom married dad."  
  
Connie smiled slightly and turned to Ken. "That was about..."  
  
"10 years before I was born. Mom and dad were both 20. Dad died when I was eight."  
  
Connie nodded. "It's funny, isn't it? Each duck has a story that sounds like it could make them a movie character. It's been you and your mom since you were four, my parents are never around so my brother pretty much raised me, Charlie is a psychological needy basket case, Julie has a big sister complex, Guy..."  
  
Connie stopped short. Something inside her felt guilty about talking about Guy. Not that a twice divorced mother was really anything to be ashamed about. She glanced at Ken, who was looking gravly down at the ground.  
  
"What?" She asked.  
  
"He told you, huh? Or did you just figure it out?" Ken glanced at her. Connie raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Told me about this mom and step-dad? Well, we all know, but it's no big deal."  
  
"No big DEAL?" Ken stared at her. "What do you mean by THAT?"  
  
"They got a divorce." Connie shrugged. "Guy was really shook up about it, with good reason, but it's no secret."  
  
Ken seemed to backtrack. "Divorce?" Then he blinked. "RIGHT. Divorce. Don't mind me."  
  
Connie looked a him oddly. "Are you feeling okay?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
Connie wasn't convinced, he could tell. But the difference between Connie and other girls was that she wasn't exactly pushy. If you didn't wan to talk about it, she usually didn't bother you until she knew you needed her. "Oh. Well anyway, you see my point. We all have these pyschological issues pushing through our head."  
  
"Indeed we do." Ken leaned back against the edge of the bed. "Adam beats himself up, Charlie is needy but feels the need to take care of everyone, or rather, be in charge of everything." Connie smiled. "Goldburg has issues about inferiority, Averman thinks no one takes him seriously. Portman hates school and has a smoking problem-"  
  
"He DOES?"  
  
"Yeah." Ken said, as if it were obvious. "Fulton never talks about his feelings when he needs to, Jesse always feels disloyal, Julie feels like she has to be perfect every minute and every second, I need to stand up for myself, you need to learn to think before you speak and hold your temper-"  
  
"Oh shut up!"   
  
Ken continued as if Connie hadn't said anything. "Dwayne needs to stop trying so hard for approval, Luis is insecure-"  
  
"No he's NOT." Connie broke in.   
  
"Sure he is. That's why he always has to have a girl." Connie shut up. "Let's see...Russ thinks everyone is better than him and Guy-" Ken cut himself off. "Well, we know about Guy."  
  
"Guy clings to the past." Connie cut in, blushing and looking uncomfortable. "You know he's not over me yet."  
  
Ken ignored the last statement. "Guy only clings to the parts about his past that he likes. Everything else he tries to forget."  
  
Connie changed the subject rapidly, looking at more photos and letting out little comments every once and awhile. But as Ken thought about Guy more, he realized just how much damage Guy's childhood affected Guy. His lack of father, his mother, his abusive step-dad, and finally, Connie letting him go.  
  
It seemed Guy thought that everyone would leave him after awhile. And Ken felt more and more guilty that Connie left Guy for HIM. NO matter how much Ken liked Connie, he would feel guilty about what happened between her and Guy. He supposed he always would.  
  
"Ken?" Connie said, shaking a hand in front of his face. "You spaced out. Get your stuff already, we have to meet Russ and Julie."  
  
"Right." Ken nodded, and dove back under the bed looking for his shoe. Him, Connie, Julie and Russ were going to head over to a movie, and they were about fifteen minutes late to meet the other two.  
  
Connie watched Ken search for his shoe under his bed, and grinned. She swapped him on the butt, causing him to go 'GYAH!' and bang his head.  
  
Connie burst out laughing as Ken mumbled something about hazardious girlfriends. It was funny how with Ken, whenever they talked about something serious, it didn't result in him going almost comotose for a week. She didn't have to be there., didn't have to...  
  
Connie shook her head. She had to stop freaking about Guy. He could take care of himself for all she cared. He really could. She just hoped he wouldn't screw up in doing it.  
  
----------------  
  
Guy yawned loudly as he walked out of the Musical Theatre room. He was annoyed. Here he thought they'd start on auditions soon. But no. they weren't casting for awhile. Guy just wanted to get started on the show. But since Eden Hall was a sport school, they were going to wait until hockey season wasn't as heavy. Guy mentally groaned. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted the auditions to come. Even if he didn't have a song or a monologue yet.  
  
"See you later, Guy." Macy called over her shoulder as she ran off in the other direction. Macy was cool, and she could sing better than anyone Guy knew of. ANYONE. And her dancing wasn't something to sneer at either. And acting wise, she was amazing. She was like those young prodigies that are born to be on Broadway.  
  
"Bye, Macy." Guy grinned, and turned around to walk back to his dorm.  
  
Without realizing it, Guy began to walk the long way back to his and Ken's dorm. The long way that also consisted of passing Connie's. Guy couldn't help it. He felt almost as if he had to be around her all the time. Like it would win her back. It was too much for his fourteen year old mind.  
  
"I need a life." Guy groaned as he walked on.  
  
----------------  
  
  
"Connie got you on your late schedual?" Russ stated as Ken and Connie came into view. "Damned women."  
  
"Oh shut it!" Connie punched Russ on the shoulder. "Asshole. I'm always on time. It's all other girls are aren't. I'm perfect."  
  
"Right." Ken snorted. "That's what it's called." Connie slugged his arm, but more playfully. Julie glanced oddly at Connie.   
  
"Cons." Julie said. "Did you finish the history project?"  
  
Connie didn't have to say anything to answer the question. Her face fell and the smile immidiatly disapeared. "SHIT."  
  
Julie sighed. "Connie, you have to do that now. You can't be running around having fun when you have big assignments like this due. Hockey takes up a good portion of your homework time. At this point, I don't know if I should write you out a schedual or what because I-"  
  
"Shut up, Julie." Connie snapped. Russ snorted as he tried to hide a laugh, but Connie glared at him, then looked up at Ken. "Walk me back to my dorm?"  
  
"Yeah yeah." Ken grinned, but hid affection due to Russ's presence (though Russ was picking up on things...fast.) He looked at Russ and Julie. "Meet you guys out front in about fifteen minutes, okay?"  
  
"Sure. Don't be late, but I guess that might be too much to hope for." Russ replied. Ken turned red. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, Wu."  
  
"I don't." Ken snapped, grabbed Connie's wrist, turned, and started dragging her back to her dorm room. Julie sighed.  
  
"Was it something I said?" Julie asked after Connie and Ken were out of earshot. "I was just trying to help." Russ looked at Julie, and rested his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Cat-lady, no offense, but your mother instinct is starting to be a big drag."  
  
"But I-"  
  
"AH." Russ interrupted her before she could continue. "Connie is not a strait-A person. She's smart, yeah. Really smart. And she gets A marks and all that jazz, but she doesn't really CARE about it as much as you do. Connie is a perfectionist in an entirly different state than you are."  
  
Julie huffed. "And what does THAT mean?"  
  
"It means that you worry about everything and Connie is more laid back. Nothing personal." Julie made a disgusted noise, and stalked off. "Hey, wait!" Russ trotted after her. "It's not a BAD thing, you just have to learn not to push your shit on other people."  
  
Julie glared.  
  
"No wait, Julie! That came out wrong!"  
  
-------------------  
  
  
'Coming close to Connie's dorm' Guy thought warily. 'Should I say hi? Or is she still treating me like I killed her dog?'  
  
The problem with Connie, is no matter what Guy planned to do, whether it be speak to her or not, the moment he saw her he would do something completely unexpected. And Guy was getting frustrated with it. He wasn't used to worrying about things like this, normal teenaged guy things. But suddenly, his family life wasn't so screwed up. Because he never saw them. So suddenly his mind was focused on idiotic trivolties that Guy didn't know how to deal with.  
  
Guy just shook his head and continued. If he saw her, he'd say hi. If he didn't, he'd just wish he had her. Like he always did.  
  
Guy glanced up to look at Connie's doorway as he walked closer to it, but then stopped in his tracks. There were Ken and Connie. Connie standing in the doorway, and Ken in front of her. They were talking, and looking at each other in this sickening and affectionate manor.  
  
And then Connie leaned forward and kissed Ken's mouth very softly. When she pulled back, Ken looked slightly dazed, and smiled at her. Then she spoke a bit more, and went inside her dorm, closing the door behind her.  
  
Guy couldn't move.  
  
And he didn't. Not until Ken turned to leave (with a goofy smile on his face that Guy was quite familier with) and banged head on into a huge doofus from the Varsity team. Adam was with him. And Guy was in earshot, hearing everyword. But the guy was loud enough that the whole school probably could.  
  
"Hey Wang Chung." The large blond one said. "Was that little hottie your _girlfriend_?"  
  
Guy saw Ken clutch his fists. Ken was not the type to be angered easily. But this guy was about four times his size, despite how much Ken had grown. However, Ken just took a deep breath.  
  
"Morning Adam." Ken nodded his head at Banks (who ducked his own in an embaressed manner.) and tried to walk his way by the three varsities. But big blond brute grabbed Ken's shoulder, and pushed him into a locker.  
  
"Don't ignore me, Wang Chung." The huge guy breathed at Ken. "Your little hockey bitch is pissing me off. A goalie is bad enough, but a fucking left wing?" He shook his head. "This is a man's game."  
  
"Man, huh?" Ken growled. "Then you sure don't belong there." Ken shoved at him, and the guy stumbled-mainly from surprise-and let go of Ken. "Connie deserves to be there just as much as anyone, and she's a better player than you'll ever be."  
  
With that, the Varsity player picked him clear off the ground. Adam, for a moment, looked ready to help Ken out. But then he backed off, and looked away. Ken glared at Adam.  
  
"Glad you care, cake-eater." Ken snapped. Guy rushed forward then, and checked his shoulder against the lunkheads chest. Lunkhead went flying on to the ground-not expecting it- and Guy glared down at him.  
  
"You little bas-" Lunkhead stood up, until a teacher came whirling out of a classroom.  
  
"WHAT is going on around here?"  
  
Silence followed. Until finally, Lunkhead shrugged his shoulders, and glared at Ken. He turned on his heel and stormed off, two other players following. Adam however, stayed. The teacher glared down the remaining students, and then stomped back into her room, slamming the door. Adam was the first to speak.  
  
"Jesus, Guy!" Adam snapped. "Settle down!"  
  
"Shut up!" Guy snapped right back at Adam. "I don't care WHAT damn team you're on! You were still a Duck and you were STILL our friend!" Guy shook his head. "I thought you had more principles."  
  
"Lay off, Guy." Ken said, sighing. "I'm used to it, okay? I appreciate your help, but I can handle it myself."  
  
"And what?" Guy retorted. "Let them beat the shit out of you?"  
  
"Now it's YOUR turn to shut up." Ken glared. "Look, I know I used to be this really small guy, okay? I KNOW. But if I wanted to, I could hurt this guy plenty if I wanted to."  
  
"Right." Adam snorted. "You may have grown about a million inches, Kenny Wu. But you're still a friggen runt."  
  
With that, Adam turned on his heel and began to stomp off. Ken glared after him. "I guess all you rich assholes are the same!" Ken's voice broke. "Go after the biggest deal! I KNOW they take me on because I stand out, and it's not because I'm a RUNT." Ken swore. "They called me Wang Chung. I heard it, and THAT'S the reason." Ken then took a deep breath and sighed. "I just never thought you were that type of person, Adam."  
  
Adam stopped, and turned to look at them. "You don't know me at all, and you don't know how I feel at all. And where you're from and what you look like has no matter to me. Maybe to them, but not to ME. So don't assume any of that...that..."Adam made a sound of frustration. "IDIOCY!!"  
  
Then he left, and Guy turned tentivly to look at Ken. Ken was just staring after Adam, his fists clenched. He turned and glanced at Guy, and didn't say anything.  
  
"I didn't mean to fight your battle for you, and I know you hate fighting to begin with." Guy said. "But unlike Banks, I remember that Ducks fly together." He patted Ken awkwardly on the shoulder. "We all look out for you Kenny, we can't help it."  
  
Ken glanced at Guy's hand on his shoulder, and then at Guy. "Stop treating me like a child." Guy blinked, and started to protest, but Ken just shook his head, and pushed Guy's hand off of his shoulder. "You know why Russ is my best friend? Because he looks out for me the same way I look out for him. Because we're a team. Not because I'm small, not because I'm mellow and definitely not because you want to get on Connie's good side."  
  
Guy stared at him. "What the HELL? That's the last thing on my mind!! You can HAVE her because she chose YOU. This has nothing to do with-"  
  
"It has EVERYTHING to do with her!" Ken yelled, his voice cracking again. The halls were starting to get silent as students filed back to dorms, and the teachers were giving them wary looks of 'as long as your not punching each other I'm going to bed.' "I'm grateful you care about me, and I'm grateful that you gave that idiot what he desearved. That's the true Guy." Then Guy sighed. "But you have to MOVE ON. Okay? If you keep pining after her, you're going to drive yourself crazy."  
  
"I'm crazy over her." Guy mumbled. "You can't change it. I'm happier when I think about her."  
  
"I know your homelife sucks and your parents are non-existant." Ken sighed. "And that's why I hate saying this to you. Ducks do fly together. But punching out a varsity wont make everything go away, Guy. I know Connie and I don't have the bond you and her had. And I know you're hurt and I know things are hard." Ken shook his head. "I'm here for you, but I'm not going to start any fights to make you feel protected. That's not the way to do it. That's not the way Connie wants you to do it."  
  
Guy looked away. "You can't bring her into this after you told me to let her go."  
  
"She's still one of your best friends. Don't let _that_ go."  
  
"I can't be just her FRIEND." Guy said. "I don't care if you two get MARRIED. I'll always love her, believe me!"  
  
Guy looked at Ken then, and Ken just shook his head. "The sad thing is, I DO bellieve you. And right now I just think you need to get your head in order. Because you need someone, and it's not me and it's not Connie, or any of the Ducks."  
  
"WHAT?" Guy snapped. "WHAT do I need?!"  
  
"Your mother." Ken said simply.  
  
They stared at each other, Guy not saying a word. With that, Ken turned and left, leaving Guy staring after him, angry and confused.  
  
Because he knew Ken was right.  
  
END OF PART 19  
  
(THE LONG AWAITED PART 19!! I'm very proud of it, I worked very hard on it. enjoy.) 


	24. My Mother's Voice

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 20: My Mother's Voice  
By Funkiechick  
  
(READ THIS AUTHORS NOTE BECAUSE NO ONE EVER READS THEM AND IT'S ANNOYING!!!: Again, 'tis been awhile. I was very busy over the holidays. I went skiing with my best friend. She's pro. I suck. It proved amusing for her none the less. Anyhow, I'm not even sure what this part is like, because I rushed it. My point is, I'm also sick. So all those fics I was talking about, NOT DONE!!! _ Ah well. Your problem, not mine! Also, I'm auditioning for a show soon, and if I get in that, my time will be zero for a very very long time. So you'll be lucky to see more than four more parts to this year. I'm very sorry. I will try very hard to get as much done as possible. But my schedule is fucking crazy. You'll note that the reason all those kids swear so much in my story is because _I_ swear too much. Also, the following part is totally nothing like the third movie. The thing is, I hardly remember it. And if I watch it, you wont get a part until next month. Wouldn't you rather a part? I suppose as a true writer, I should take more time and get it right, but I really want this part out. Also, it's a helluva lot longer than my chapters usually are, so you better damn appreciate it.)  
  
  
"Damnit." Guy said, stretching, and then winced as he did so. "I'm all achy."  
  
Julie regarded him while she put on her pads, and stretched her own shoulders. "Well, I'M okay. So it must mean that you just need more conditioning."  
  
Charlie snorted. "Only YOU 'condition' daily, Julie. Guy spends most of his time on other hobbies."  
  
To this comment, Connie snorted. Everyone turned to look at her, and Guy's face went serious. "What the hell does THAT mean?" He snapped.  
  
"Oh nothing, really." Connie said, feigning innocence, then taking her skates. "See you all on the ice." She left the locker room then, and Guy just glared after her, pulling his gloves on violently.   
  
"Bitch." He muttered. Everyone was silent, until Ken cleared his throat.  
  
"Uh...she's uh...just been really edgy lately, so-" He started, but Guy glared.  
  
"Don't fight my battles for me!" He said in a mock tone of voice. "Remember?"   
  
Then he turned on his heel, and left the locker room, scowling as he went. Everyone was silent until Fulton spoke. "I wish Portman were here."  
  
Julie glared then. "Ugh, we don't need him to fix everything. He doesn't even fix anything when he's here." Fulton gave her a stare that indicated she was acting childish. "Well he doesn't!"  
  
"You're missing the point." Averman said. "What he's trying to say is we need Adam and Jesse and Portman here...so we could all be Ducks again."  
  
Charlie, like Connie, let out a snort, and then left, followed by Dwayne and a huffy looking Julie.  
  
Luis glanced at Ken and Russ, then back to Fulton, Goldburg and Averman. "I know where all of this is going." Luis said. No one responded. "We're all gonna break off into groups and not be friends for awhile, right?"  
  
"Not necessarily." Ken said. "I'll be friends with all of you, because you're all my friends."  
  
No one said anything until Fulton smiled. "I think that was the most duck-like comment anyone is going to make for awhile." He patted Ken's shoulder as he left the room. "Thanks little bash bro."  
  
-------------------------  
  
  
"GOD GOD STOP."  
  
Every duck groaned and halted whatever they were doing, as Orion skated angrily up to them. "Yes, sir?" Charlie said in a sarcastic tone. Orion shot him a glare, nothing else.  
  
"What the hell was that supposed to be??"  
  
"A play." Julie said bravely.  
  
Orion ignored her. "That was the cockiest, sloppiest bit of playing I had ever SEEN. If you think THAT will beat varsity, you are damn wrong!"  
  
"We were trying our best." Luis said, rather loudly. Orion shut him up with another one of his glares.  
  
"You are all too cocky." He said simply. "You think that this is a free ride when it's not! ONE wrong move, and your scholarships are gone." He held up his thumb and forefinger in indication. "The board is hanging your scholarships by a THREAD."  
  
"In all due fairness, sir." Connie said. "You haven't exactly worked with us and made us feel as if you care."  
  
Silence followed this comment.  
  
"I mean..." Connie continued. "You act like you hate us. So we don't really want to perform for you."  
  
"Would you..." Orion gulped, looking very uncomfortable. "Care to REPEAT that, Miss. Moreau."  
  
"It's true." Julie suddenly piped up. "You could be a bit nicer, you know. The varsity team gets along with THEIR coach."  
  
"I WILL NOT." Orion snapped so sharply both girls jumped. "Be spoken to like that! This is about hockey, and coaching is not a tea party, or playing with your dolls!"  
  
The tension after that was so intense, even Averman couldn't crack a joke (though everyone had noticed that he never did that at hockey practice anymore.) Finally Ken spoke up.  
  
"Um, Mr. Coach Orion, sir..." Orion's head snapped over to look at Ken. "It's true. Not a girl thing. And those girls happen to be part of the team."  
  
"We wouldn't have won at the Goodwill Games without Cons and The Cat." Charlie snapped.   
  
"All of you..." Orion said. "30 laps! You two-" He pointed at Connie and Julie. "20, if this is too difficult."  
  
Connie glared, and skated up to him. "I'll skate 40." Julie followed her, and added a "Me too." The two started around the rink, determination on their faces, not to mention a pissed off aura that managed to make anyone skate 100, let alone 40 laps.  
  
The guys were silent, until Orion yelled "WELL? What are you WAITING for???"  
  
He didn't catch Goldburg muttering "For the fun to start, that's what."  
  
----------------  
  
Julie and Connie threw their skates violently into their lockers after hockey practice, both muttering swears under their breath. The other ducks-all of the male variety-watched with fear from the opposite end of the locker room.  
  
"Connie? Julie?" Russ said bravely, stepping forward.  
  
They both stopped ramming their equipment into their lockers, and turned their heads snappishly to face him. "_WHAT_?"  
  
"N-n-nothing." He backed against the other guys quickly.  
  
"Can you believe that jerk off son of a bitch SAID that!?" Connie swore, throwing off her pads. "Ugh, I just...ARRRAGH!!" She kicked the locker violently.  
  
"I swear to god..." Julie said. "I'm gonna show that GODDAMN ASSHOLE I'm no little GIRL!" And she copied Connie's action of kicking the locker.  
  
"You do realize..." Fulton whispered. "JULIE just swore."  
  
"This is creepy." Averman whimpered.  
  
"I say..." Julie said, pulling off her over shit, revealing a t-shirt underneath. "That we do 40 laps every day, and finish before the boys, and show Orion he can count on us!"  
  
"Perfect!" Connie said, slipping off her overshirt. "This way, we'll show him we're as good as players as he's as good of a coach."  
  
"Good COACH?" Charlie snapped. "What are you-" Charlie stopped and his eyes bulged out of his head as Connie whipped her t-shirt over her head, to reveal nothing but a sports bra, which wasn't showing much, but enough to make several fourteen year old boys stare.  
  
"Uhm...Connie?" Julie said. Connie looked around, and screamed.  
  
"OH GOD I FORGOT!!!" She yelped, grabbed her shirt, and ran into the showers, muttering 'godgodgodgod' over and over.  
  
Silence followed until Guy spoke. "Uh..." His voice broke. "I'm gonna...go...and..." Voice break. "Thank God I ....saw that."  
  
Kenny shot Guy a glare, and everything was silent until Russ said "So, uh...who has Mr. Rosterson for English?"  
  
-----------------------  
  
  
Guy had nearly a permanent smile on his face for the rest of the day, and the only time that it left him was when he tripped down the stairs on the way to study hall-but even that didn't dampen his spirits too much. He knew his happiness was based solely on the perverted mind of a fourteen year old male, but he could not conceal that instead of Ken being the first ever to see Connie without a shirt (in probably a few years, mind you) they had both seen it. He was one up!  
  
In a purely pathetic fashion, of course.  
  
"Mr. Germaine? What's the answer??"  
  
"1812..." Guy answered drunkenly. Julie, who sat in front of him, turned around to stare at him incredulously, including the pretty brunette -Justine- who sat next to her.   
  
"That's a YEAR, not a math equation, dumbass!" Justine said loudly. The class burst out laughing, but the teacher showed a glare not unlike Coach Orions that caused them all to shut up.  
  
"Guy." Julie whispered back at him, while the teacher went back to writing on the board. "I think you shouldn't act this way if you ever plan on winning Connie back."  
  
"You mean I have a chance???" Guy asked, his eyes wide. Julie stared back at him.  
  
"Not really, but you have even LESS of one if you act like Dwayne. Who is pretty much suffering from a hernia since Connie forgot you guys were in the locker room."  
  
With that, she turned immediately back to the board and began taking down the notes she missed in those few seconds. Not much, but this was Julie. Guy scowled at the back of her head. Honestly, did chicks understand nothing? All guys had a perverted, shallow streak. ALL of them. Should he bring up Portman?  
  
Nah. It was a touchy subject. She'd probably slug him. Guy went back to his notes, and sighed, knowing full well math was not his forte, day dreams or no.  
  
He bit into his pencil, and then leaned back in his seat lazily, pretending to be interested in what the teacher had to say. Which wasn't true, and he knew that everyone else knew it. But he figured if he didn't provoke the teacher to call on him anymore, he could save himself some embarrassment. It was funny, because before this year, he was a really GOOD student...  
  
"Hey Germaine."   
  
Guy glanced behind him, to see Cassidy Mastersins smiling at him.   
  
Miss. Veronica Lodge of the ninth grade was talking to him. HIM.  
  
"Yeah?" Guy said.  
  
"You're on the hockey team, aren't you?" Her tone was flirtatious, interested. Guy grinned. A bonus for being on a hockey team was the fact nearly all females found it a complete turn on.  
  
"Yeah, that's me." Guy said, giving her 'his smile'. The big one, that made his eyes squint. "What, you heard of me?"  
  
"Of course." Cassidy said. "You're in musical theatre, too. Macy is a...aquentence of mine."  
  
'Aquentence of mine??' Guy thought, but didn't say anything.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Guy repeated. "So, what can I do ya for?"  
  
"Do me for?" She grinned. "Are you moving a bit quick?"  
  
Guy's face turned red at that comment, and before he could reply, the teacher snapped his name, causing him to stare ahead at the board. Nothing else was said between the two for the rest of the period, but Guy found his ego swelling like a balloon.   
  
-----------------------  
  
  
"Do me for?" Connie exclaimed as she and Julie bought their lunch in the cafeteria. "She SAID that???"  
  
"I kid you not." Julie replied, placing her milk on the tray, and moving along to make a face at the choice cuisine for the day-macaroni and cheese. "Eew, look at that."  
  
"What a tramp." Connie mumbled. "I mean, HONESTLY. I bet Guy's thinking he's god now. What a loser."  
  
Julie didn't say anything as the lunch lady slapped some macaroni into a bowl, and handed it to her over the glass. She did, however, roll her eyes at Connie, a gesture that she didn't miss.  
  
"What?" Connie said as she got her own portion of macaroni. "What? What is it?"  
  
"You're jealous, that's what." Julie replied, paying for her food, and waiting for Connie to do the same. "You're jealous because you want Guy to keep pining over you."  
  
"I do NOT." Connie snapped. "Don't be an idiot. The last thing I want is Guy pining over me. I like KEN."  
  
"I know you like Ken." Julie said, as they walked over to their table where the other Ducks sat. "But that doesn't keep you from wanting to make sure Guy stays as yours. You can't help it, you've been together too long."  
  
Connie glared at her. "You're full of shit, Julie."  
  
"You're in denial."  
  
They sat down in silence, Connie next to Ken, and Julie on her other side, and Connie didn't say much in the conversation going around the table-whether or not Luis would score with the cheerleader he was currently flirting with.  
  
"I think she looks kinda cheap." Russ said, taking a sip of his juice. "I mean, she looks like she put on her make-up with a shotgun."  
  
"Guys, look!" Charlie suddenly exclaimed. "That's her! THAT'S Linda."  
  
Julie and Connie rolled their eyes at each other. Charlie had been talking about Linda all week, and it was easily getting on everyone's nerves. None the less, they all looked to where Charlie was pointing, to see a pretty, yet conservatively dressed brunette walking to a lunch table full of modest looking students. (When Averman and Connie mumbled 'snobs' under their breath, everyone snorted back laughter-Charlie was too mesmerized by Linda to really care.)  
  
"Isn't she pretty?" He asked, with a goofy smile on his face.  
  
"She's cute." Fulton granted, smiling at his friend. "But I heard she hated jocks. And you know, you DO play hockey."  
  
"Well, if she's worth it, wouldn't she look over the fact he's a jock and give him a chance as a person?" Ken said quietly. Everyone looked at him. "What? It's true."  
  
"You guys just don't know her." Charlie said. "She thinks of ME differently."  
  
"Of course she does, Spazway." Goldburg said. "Since you're such a chick magnet and all."  
  
Connie laughed then, failing to hold it back, and Charlie sent her a glare. "Something FUNNY, Connie?"  
  
"Nothing at all." Connie said, drinking her milk. "Did I say anything."  
  
"I heard you laugh." Guy said. Connie shot him a glare, and Guy shrugged non-chalantly at her, which surprised a few considering lately he'd been acting more love sick around her than usual. "Well you did. You have a problem with Charlie liking somebody?"  
  
"I didn't say that."  
  
"Then what's so funny?"  
  
"Like I'd tell you."  
  
"And you called LINDA a snob."  
  
This comeback was so good that Connie didn't say anything back to it, just hid her face and looked down at her food. She felt Ken take her hand under the table, and she squeezed it back.  
  
"Don't start, you two." Fulton said as he finished off his food. "No one wants to hear it."  
  
"I'm never heard anyway." Guy said, and he stood up, dumped his food into the waste basket, and stalked off, leaving a silent table behind him. Not even Connie could think of anything to say, even though everyone looked at her expecting her to do so. She just shrugged, and went back to eating.  
  
Meanwhile Guy, leaving the lunchroom, felt a swell of pride. He had finally won a somewhat argument against Connie. He could be over her in a week if he kept this up.  
  
...  
  
Okay, maybe a month.  
  
"Hey, Guy."   
  
Guy glanced up to see Cassidy standing with a bunch of her friends over by some lockers, she walked over to him, her friends watching her every move, and touched his shoulder in a flirtatious, and opening manor. "Hi Cassidy." He grinned.  
  
For some reason he felt ten times more sexy...  
  
"I hear you have a game coming up." She said, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder. "I'd really like to go."  
  
Guy flushed slightly, but shrugged. "I guess you could, you know, if you wanted to." Guy said. "If I see you I'll wave."  
  
Cassidy was a tad surprised at his casual tone. If she didn't know better she'd say he was playing hard to get. But from what Cassidy heard about Guy's love life, he was currently sort of pining over that tomboy on his hockey team, the one who played...wing something. But the fact he was playing hard to get, and the fact he may be interested in someone else, made him ten times more appealing.  
  
"I'll come give it a look see then." Cassidy said. "And who knows, I just might stay."  
  
"I just might say a word or two to you afterward." Guy said, and he winked and walked off. Cassidy grinned. Yes, he was playing hard to get. And now she was determined to have him.  
  
Guy, as soon as he turned a corner and Cassidy could not longer see, danced a victory jig, and started mumbling a song...something that had to do with him being a 'stud'.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
  
"Was I a bitch at lunch?"  
  
Ken took his eyes away from his book and looked down at Connie (they were in his room, him laying on the bed reading, her head on his stomach as she lazily took a nap. She had turned herself around now, so that her chin was now on his stomach, and her arms flopped over him.  
  
Ken didn't say anything for a moment, and then sighed. "You were kind of harsh, but not a bitch."  
  
"Are you just saying that because I'm your girlfriend?"  
  
Ken grinned slightly. "No, I'm not."  
  
"Do you think I'm jealous that Guy has a girl who has a crush on him?"  
  
That question had come out of nowhere, and Ken knew that he really had to think about this answer. Him and Connie had a very odd relationship. Despite the fact they were dating, they were still friends. And the question she just asked was a question that a friend would ask another.  
  
"Do you want me to answer truthfully or as a boyfriend?" Ken said.  
  
"Truthfully."  
  
"Yes then." Ken nodded. "I think you're jealous. Because even if you don't like him, you don't want him liking anyone else because you have such history together. You want Guy to always have feelings for you, because in the end, you'll always have feelings for him. Because he was your first love."  
  
Connie thought about this. "What would you have said if you were to answer as a boyfriend?"  
  
Ken grinned. "You my bitch, you ain't jealous of nobody."  
  
Connie snorted, and hit him on the shoulder, laughing. They went back to their previous routine then, Connie napping with her head on his stomach, and Ken reading. But as Ken looked at her sleeping, he realized that despite what he said, he would have said the same thing truthfully as he did as a boyfriend.  
  
  
------------------------  
  
It was the first time in the history of Guy's life where he went into math class in a happy mood. I mean, it's math class. And Guy would never be a math person. But the thought of flirting with Cassidy... Guy figured the more he talked to her, the more he could forget about Connie. The more he could let go of the fact he didn't think he was getting over her any time soon. Or how the rift between Guy and Ken's friendship was growing.  
  
Class hadn't started yet because the second bell had yet to ring, but nearly everyone was in there anyway, except for Jim. Jim was a leather jacket wearing smoker with an ACDC shirt and a total of two pairs of jeans. He LOOKED threatening but when you talked to him he was amazingly friendly.  
  
However, Guy's mind was on the fact Cassidy was sitting in her desk, surrounded by all her friends. The popular freshmen. Next to Cassidy was Deanna Scott, a pretty brunette with a sexy and loose attitude, and standing against another desk was Donna Parks, a tomboyish and saucy redhead who didn't often talk to the popular crowd, but was the type of person who could hang out with whoever she pleased. As for boys, their was Alex Smith, Deanna's brainless boyfriend, and Matt Yisten, a self claimed charmer who wore posh beige sweaters nearly every day.  
  
The fact was, Cassidy just looked so inviting, so Guy took the opportunity to go and sit promptly on her lap.   
  
She didn't object.  
  
"Good morning to you too." She grinned. Guy glanced at her.   
  
"Sorry, what? Seats are meant to be used, not heard." She laughed, and punched him hard on the back. Guy pretended it didn't hurt. Donna glanced oddly at him, and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Are you supposed to be Mr. Sporto that Cassidy was telling me about?" She folded her arms across her chest. "Aren't you going with Connie Moreau?"  
  
"Uh, no." Guy said, more meanly than he meant to. "She's with Kenny Wu." Guy didn't mention that him and Connie had recently been a couple-well, not recently, but meaningfully.  
  
"Ah, I see." Donna nodded her head. "Well, she's cooler than this bimbo." Donna said jokingly, but Guy could tell she wasn't. Cassidy couldn't.  
  
"Oh thanks a LOT." Cassidy giggled. "Hey Deanna, I told you he was cute."  
  
Deanna nodded her head, and looked at Alex. "Why don't YOU play hockey?"  
  
"Because." Alex said. "I play football! No one at this school does anything but hockey, so the football team needs me."  
  
"The football team needs a fucking POINT." Donna said. "You guys suck."  
  
Guy was the only one that laughed. Matt spoke then, slipping an arm around Donna's waist. "I see you're awfully fiery this morning, Donna my love." Donna rolled her eyes. Matt sat down and leaned against the back of his chair. "Care to have a seat?"  
  
"No, thanks, I'm not much for sitting on morons." She made eye contact with Guy. "However, it seems to fit you just fine."  
  
Guy raised an eyebrow. "You having a bad morning, carrot top?"  
  
"Nah." Donna shrugged. "I just happen to know more about you than you think I do."  
  
With that, she turned on her heel and went to sit next to Jim, who had just entered the room. Deanna rolled her eyes. "Gawd, Cassidy. Sometimes I wonder why we talk to her. She can be soooo annoying."  
  
"Deanna, she's kind of nice." Cassidy said. "I like her. She just speaks her mind."  
  
"And she's hot." Matt said simply. Alex laughed much like a thug, and grinned.   
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Deanne glared at him, but didn't say anything, which struck Guy as pathetic, but he didn't say so. Matt looked at Guy then, and nodded a greeting. Guy nodded back. "Hey."  
  
"I heard you do theatre shit, too." Matt said. "What're you doing on the hockey team if you swing that way?"  
  
Guy rolled his eyes. "Please. Don't be so stereotypical. I'm not gay." Guy shrugged his shoulders. "And even if I was, would it matter? No, not really. Anyhow, I've been playing hockey since I was like, six, okay?"  
  
Cassidy started writing imaginary letters on Guy's back with her finger and he was finding it increasingly hard to concentrate. Deanna noticed Cassidy's actions and giggled.  
  
"You think Donna is hot?" Deanna said to Matt and Alex. "Ugh, she acts like a guy."  
  
"Whatever." Matt shook his head, and then looked at Guy. "Hey, what do you think?"  
  
Guy glanced back at Cassidy, making sure to choose his words carefully. "No one holds a candle to Cass here." Despite the fact he found Donna way prettier than Cassidy.  
  
She awarded him with a smile, which earned groans from everybody else. Guy had a feeling he was about to win himself a spot at the popular table some time soon.  
  
The math teacher stormed into the room then, screeching at everyone to return to their seats as the second bell rang. Guy ruffled up Cassidy's hair (to which she exclaimed 'Hey! You jerk!') and sat down at his desk. He grinned back at her before taking his binder out of his backpack. However, he didn't spend much of his time working, as he did passing notes back and forth between himself and Cassidy until she got bored with it and went back to acting like a bit of a princess.  
  
Suddenly, a note went sailing from the opposite end of the room to the side of his head, and he glanced over to see it was from Donna. The teacher hadn't seen, and Guy opened it giving her an odd look.   
  
'Guy,  
  
You better tone down that ego before your head gets too big to fit through the door.  
  
_Donna_'  
  
Guy flushed. That little...he furiously scribbled out an answer on the paper, glaring at her from time to time.   
  
'Donna,  
  
At least my head isn't that big naturally. Do you look like a freak on purpose?'  
  
-guy-  
  
And so began Donna and Guy's note passing.  
  
'Guy,  
  
Nice try, but I happen to know how hot you think I am. Even if I'm no Cassidy, by your standards. My point is, she's not really THAT interested in YOU, just your hockey and your looks. Which aren't half bad.  
  
_Donna_'  
  
  
'Donna,  
  
Fine, you're cute, but don't insult my head. And maybe I don't want a meaningful relationship? Maybe I'm looking for my transitional chick? And yes, my looks are more than half.  
  
-guy-  
  
'Guy,  
  
Shallow ass.  
  
_Donna_  
  
'Donna,  
  
I love you too.  
  
-guy-  
  
The notes stopped after that, and Guy couldn't help but notice that Donna reminded him a bit like Connie.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Laurine exclaimed with surprise as the phone rang her out of her book reading trance. She hadn't had a phone call in a good two days, and since it being well into the school year, with no holiday at the particular moment, she knew it wasn't Guy. And hopefully not Max, because the last time he'd called, Laurine had grown so lonely that she almost begged him back.  
  
She quickly picked up the phone next to the couch and said a muffled and lazy 'hello?'  
  
"Hi mom."  
  
Laurine let out a surprised breath. "Guy? Oh GUY! Hi, hello, how are you honey??"  
  
"Not bad."  
  
"It's been awhile."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They were silent and Laurine took this hint to change the subject as to avoid an argument for fear of him never calling again. "So, how's school?"  
  
"Oh, it's cool. Our coach is really evil, but he's a good coach, and Charlie is turning into a bit of an ass, but I think he'll get over it."  
  
"How's Dean?"  
  
"He's not here."  
  
"He's not?"  
  
"No." Guy said. "He didn't want to come because Bombay wasn't coaching. Lame, huh?"  
  
"Right." His mother laughed. "And Connie? How's she?"  
  
A silence followed that question, and Laurine didn't know quite what to think of it, but she had a feeling it wasn't good.  
  
"Connie dumped me."  
  
"...oh."  
  
"Yeah, for Kenny Wu."  
  
"The figure skater?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well." Laurine said. "Maybe this is a good thing. I mean, do you really want to be together with only one person until you're married? Wouldn't you like to see other people? Have you met any other girls?"  
  
"Uh...yeah, two."  
  
"Well, why don't you go on a date with one of them? You'll probably feel much better." Laurine sighed. "You'll get over Connie, dear. You really will."  
  
"Thanks." Guy said. 'Well I have to go to bed. We have a practice at 5am tomorrow."  
  
"5AM?"  
  
"I told you he was evil. Bye mom. Love you."  
  
Laurine felt her smile widen. "I love you too, Guy."  
  
And then he hung up, and Laurine felt herself feel healthier than she had in over four years.  
  
--------------------------  
  
  
Guy placed the phone back down in it's cradle, and got ready for bed. He'd done it. He'd finally said what he'd had to say. That he loved his mother, no matter what had happened in the past, and that he was there for her. And now he didn't feel guilty anymore.   
  
But he still felt empty.  
  
And somehow, he didn't go to bed in as high hopes as he thought he would. Somehow, girls, and the popular table and Donna weren't important anymore. And he realized, not for the first time, than Ken really had been right.  
  
He needed his mother.  
  
END OF PART 20  
  
(I know I know. You all recognized the re-doing of the (1812) answer to a teachers question. If you can tell me who else said that and in what chapter, I'll give you a prize. Also, yes, Donna is loosely based after That 70's Show Donna. Good for you for picking it up. Ok. Yeah. Bye. 


	25. And She's Beautiful

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 21: And She's Beautiful  
By Funkiechick  
  
(READ MY AUTHORS NOTES ALWAYS!!!: Wow, wasn't this done rather quickly. Truthfully, I just wanted to get it over with because I'll be so busy should I get in this show I'm auditioning for. And by the time this is done, I'll either be in it or not. I just want to get the movie parts of D3 over with so I can start following my own plot line instead of having to rely on everything in the movie, since I've had to do events from the earlier movies in the earlier chapters. Also, about the whole Guy and Connie thing, I am more than sick of people e-mailing me and saying 'when are Guy and Connie gonna get back together??' well, it may happen, it may not. But I assure you that if you keep bothering me about it, the less I'll want to make it happen. This is my story. What happens, happens for a reason. Also, for Guy's musical, I'm thinking of putting him in Grease, playing Kenicky, and Portman playing Danny. And Ken being of the T-Birds. If not, then they'll do Joseph, and Kenny will be Joseph, Guy will be Simeon and Portman will be Judah. Please tell me which of the two productions you want because I have to start planning which one is going to get posted. Oh yes, Rizzo will be played by Donna, and Sandy by Macy, hopefully you remember who Macy is. If Joseph happens, Donna will be a wife, and Macy will be the narrator. Okay, this will probably be the last update in awhile, I'm sorry to say. If I get in this show-I'm speaking optimistically- you all know my schedule will be crazy. If I don't finish this part now, then you wont see it until I have free time. I'll be busy until Monday. But Breaking Hazel is far from hiatus. It's the fic I am focusing my attention on right now. So please refrain from sending me e-mails stating 'WHEN ARE YOU UPDATING???' because I'm doing the best I can. Also, in case some of you haven't noted, Donna is going to be Guy's girl. Because they like each other a whole bunch and they barely even know each other. Also, I can't wait until Portman comes back so he will be back as soon as possible, I assure you. So, now I'll shut up and you can enjoy.)  
  
Donna Schwartz was intelligent. More intelligent than the average teenaged human. She could analyze any human brain, and before really knowing a person, could pin point their exact insecurities and character flaws. This could be used quite usefully should she have made any enemies. And it actually often happened considering Donna always spoke her mind.  
  
One example being her English teacher Mrs. Larrensymer. The teacher made a comment that Donna hadn't quite agreed with, that being that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, in the script 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead', were afraid of death, which is why they contemplated their own existence so much.  
  
Donna, of course, made the statement that it was quite obvious that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern did not FEAR death, it simply made them think. Made them ponder over why it existed. Donna studied these things in her spare time-which she believed, made her very knowledgeable on the subject. However, calling your English teacher a 'moron' wont often work too well for you.  
  
However, it did not deny the fact that Donna was very intelligent.  
  
It also didn't change the fact she had called Mrs. Larrensymer a moron again, so Donna was stuck outside in the hall. She was frowning intensely, arms folded, and glaring at whoever passed her in the hall. However, much to her chagrin, no one had passed her yet. So she was glaring at the lockers. And doing a very good job of it.  
  
"Glare that wall down, sexy bitch." A sophomore laughed as he walked past her with some buddies. Donna just flipped him the bird and they continued laughing as they went down the hall and out of her sight. Donna snorted.  
  
She hated her looks. Well, not hated them exactly...but it was really annoying when you were trying to be serious, and all you got from a guy you may have potentially been interested in was 'dude, you're hot'. Donna hated that. She knew she had a saucy appeal, but she felt it was the kind of appeal that would fade as soon as she hit 30.   
  
But the thing about herself that Donna hated most was that she picked apart everything about her own personality. She didn't like being so insecure, and she figured maybe it was part of growing up. But she still hated it. It wasn't her.  
  
"Hi brat."  
  
Great. Donna glanced up to see none other than Mr. Try-Hard himself, Guy Germaine. She rolled her eyes. :"Hi." She answered coolly. Guy grinned and leaned against the wall beside her. She glanced at him. "Can I help you?"  
  
"Well YOU'RE friendly." Guy said, making a face.   
  
"Guy, I'm not Cassidy, so don't pretend to think you're charming." Donna said, looking at him as if she quite plainly thought he was a bug. Guy looked slightly surprised. "Oh please, I can see right through this image you're pulling on everyone, and it doesn't work."  
  
"What are you TALKING about?" Guy demanded.  
  
"You know full well what I'm talking about." Donna replied. "I know all about you-"  
  
"No you don't!" Guy snapped. "You don't know ANYTHING! What's your theory? That I just got dumped by Connie and now I'm trying to get her back and rebuild my shattered self esteem with Cassidy and a table full of JOCKS?"  
  
Donna didn't reply, just stared at him. And refusing to admit that yes, that was what she thought.  
  
"Well, this may come as a surprise to you, but not every teenage guy cares about girls as much as you think they do." Guy snapped. "And Connie doesn't know much about me either, because I never told her. So unless you know the fucking story, back the hell off." And with that, Guy stormed off, Donna watching him go.  
  
And for the first time in her life, felt like she had said something wrong.  
  
----------------------------------  
  
  
Orion blew his whistle loudly as he watched his players go through a formation drill. He heard audible groans as they all stopped playing, and started to slowly skate towards the beginning stance of the drill.  
  
"NO NO NO." Orion yelled. "One long whistle is just for you all to stop in place, two is for you to start again, and one short whistle is for you to start laps. You all started the formation drill AGAIN, on ONE LONG."  
  
Silence followed, as they all went back to the beginning stance anyway. He groaned.   
  
"I just want Germaine to get over here so I can talk to him."  
  
They all watched in a more tense quiet as Guy skated over to Orion, a big frown on his face. And all of them nodded in a slightly agreement when Fulton said "He's going into it again."  
  
Orion blew his whistle for them to start again (three short) and then looked down at Guy. Guy just glowered back up at him, not saying anything. Just looking miserable.  
  
"What's your problem, Germaine?" Orion asked. "Your playing is way under your usual skill. I can usually depend on you to get nearly every assist. You're one of our best scorers. But now-" Orion held out his hands in a helpless motion. "You're out of your game today, and why is that?"  
  
"Bad day." Guy mumbled. Orion waited, as if Guy would say something more. But he didn't.  
  
"That's it? A bad day?" Orion sighed. "Son, you're fourteen! You don't even know the beginning of a bad day. _I_ know a bad day!" Orion thought briefly to his daughter, her handicap, and for some reason found himself angry at a moody fourteen year old boy. "So don't you complain, about a bad-"  
  
"Right sir, sorry sir, it wont ever happen again sir." Guy said this all very quickly, and went right back into the formation, dismissing Orion with nothing-not even a glance. Orion stared after him, perplexed. And then re-thought for a moment.  
  
Guy stood out. While the rest of them really were moody teenagers, Guy was standing out for some reason. Charlie was easy to read, with his son-like clinging to Bombay. And Fulton was strong, getting better, despite non-existent parents. Fulton was hurting, but dealing. As far as Orion knew.   
  
But as he watched Guy Germaine skate around looking as if he wished he were dead, Orion found himself distraught and pained to realize...  
  
...he didn't know his players at all.  
  
  
---------------------------  
  
  
Ken watched Guy throw down his pencil in frustration as he tried to do his math homework, and then bang his head against the head board of his bed. Ken then sighed, and ran his hands through his hair from his seat at the one desk in the dorm room, that they shared.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Guy glanced at him. "Nothing's wrong, don't worry about it." Ken snorted. "No, seriously. It's nothing."  
  
"But there is something, and it IS bothering you." Ken said, putting down his own homework (which was almost finished). "What is it?"  
  
Guy didn't say anything for a moment, and then looked down at his homework again before looking back up at Ken. "It's something this girl said to me."  
  
Ken nodded his head slightly, then shrugged his shoulders. "Connie?"  
  
"Nope." Guy said. "No, it actually has nothing to do with Connie, you'll be happy to know."  
  
"I'm not happy if you're going through one of your phases again." Ken said, leaning back in his chair. Guy made a confused face. "Oh please, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."  
  
"What do you mean 'phases'?" Guy asked.   
  
"Phases." Ken repeated. "You go through one every year. You seem fine for awhile, and then you...well..." Ken took a deep breath. "You seem to...remember. You know, and let everything hurt you again. And then you stop being happy."  
  
"I'm only acting that way today. I'm through with..." Guy paused. "I don't know, I'm through with everything hurting all the time."  
  
They didn't say anything for awhile, until Ken finally brought the subject back up. "So who is this girl? And what did she say?"  
  
Guy looked at him, with an unreadable expression on his face. "She tried to tell me she could see through my 'act'. She said I was just trying to hurt Connie and blah blah, said she knew me better than I thought..." Guy shook his head. "And I just lost it for no reason. I don't usually just start talking and talking, even when everything is on my shoulders. But with her..."  
  
Ken waited, and then prompted an "And?" when Guy took too long with his pause.  
  
"And NOTHING." Guy said. "Nothing, I lost it, told her she didn't know anything and neither did Connie, and now I'm just thinking about it." Guy shrugged. "And it hurts to think about. End of story."  
  
Ken looked at Guy, trying to read the expression on his face, and finally said "What's her name?" Guy just looked at him, and then suddenly seemed different, somehow, in a way that Ken couldn't explain.  
  
"Her name is Donna." Guy said. "And she's beautiful."  
  
Ken grinned, and Guy panicked and went back to his homework thinking 'Why the hell did I say that???' "So." Ken said. "Am I sensing some sort of interest in this Donna?"  
  
"NO." Guy said firmly. "She's...a...BITCH. And cold hearted and tomboyish and BUTCHY."  
  
"But beautiful." Ken said, shrugging as if it came out of the top of his head.  
  
"Beauty isn't everything." Guy mumbled.  
  
"Okay, okay." Ken said, backing off. "I didn't say anything, you did."  
  
"Whatever." Guy mumbled. "I'm not over Connie and you know that. So can girls just not be a topic?"  
  
Ken glanced at Guy then, looking a little pissed off. Which surprised Guy considering Ken's usual tolerance. "Stop lashing out and just give yourself a break. No one is better than you, and you're not better than anyone else. This includes Connie and this includes me. You know her, so stop pinning her as a goddess or some sort of unachievable goal because she's not a goddess, or a GOAL. She's a person, with faults. Stop making her up, because that doesn't help you or her. You need to let yourself go, Guy."  
  
Guy swallowed hard. "How the hell am I supposed to let myself go?" His voice broke slightly, and he swallowed again.  
  
Ken sighed. "Well..." He shrugged. "Why don't you talk to this Donna girl, and maybe you can try to pay more attention to class. And maybe...maybe you and Connie should try and patch things up and be friends again. Because you do miss her."  
  
Guy stared at him, and then shook his head. "You are unbelievable, and quite possibly, the only person I've ever met who never thinks about himself."  
  
Ken shrugged. "I'm Ken. No one gives me a second thought. Not often, anyway."  
  
Guy wanted to reply. To tell Ken that that wasn't true. But Ken had closed the conversation. Had closed off all conversation. And they continued their homework in silence.  
  
------------------------------  
  
Julie, Connie and Luis stared at the dead, pre-dissected frog in disgust. Luis more in fear, Julie more in horror, and Connie more in 'about to hurl'. Luis poked it with his knife.  
  
"I feel so SORRY for it." Luis shook his head. "I...I can't."  
  
"We have to." Julie said. "You know, for a GRADE?" Luis slammed his dissecting knife down on the table, a frown on his face. "Luis, what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm REFUSING, that's what." Luis said. "I say this is cruelty to animals, and I for one REFUSE to do it, because I'm refusing, and to go about the act of refusing, you have to refuse to do something."  
  
That comment made everyone stare. More so because it was stupid.  
  
"Oh PLEASE." Julie rolled her eyes. "The thing's been dead since about 1973." Connie laughed, which caused Luis to grab the lovely Moreau by the shoulders.  
  
"Connie, you know what I mean. This is animal cruelty, brutality, and just plain GROSS."  
  
Connie and Luis stared at each other, and seemed to reach an understanding. "You're right." Connie said firmly. "This is DISGUSTING." She stood up. "I'm going on protest!"  
  
"Me too!" Luis stood up next to her. Julie watched in unflattering disbelief.   
  
"You're only doing this so you can get out of class." Julie mumbled. Connie and Luis glared at her, shutting her up from exposing their brilliant plan. Mr. Laporte rushed over to their table as students began to watch the pair.  
  
"A problem, Connie, Luis?" He said nervously. He was the type of teacher who wouldn't know the first thing to do about the slightest rebellion in class. And since he only taught fourteen year olds who were insecure and unpopular, he usually didn't have that problem. But...  
  
"Yes there is a problem! Right Luis?" Connie said, smacking her hand on the table for emphasis.  
  
"Right Connie." Luis nodded. "We think that having to dissect a frog is disgusting, Mr. Laporte. They were once living things and this is hardly the way to treat a CORPSE, sir."  
  
"I know I wouldn't want anyone dissecting ME after I was dead." Connie folded her arms across her chest. "It's gross and demeaning and not very religious."  
  
"Oh PLEASE." Julie said. "You're not religious EITHER."  
  
"Quiet, Cat." Connie snapped.  
  
"Come on Cons." Luis nodded. "Lets make some protest signs."  
  
Mr. Laporte, not knowing what to do, watched them leave looking worried and confused. "But-but you can't just leave class."  
  
"Yes we can!" Connie said. "We're PROTESTING. It's FREEDOM OF SPEECH."  
  
"Wait up!" Macy called, as she got up from her desk. "I'm coming!"  
  
Soon, four other students followed Luis and Connie out of the room as Julie just sighed and tried to do her work. It was awfully lonely being a strait A student sometimes.  
  
------------------------  
  
Donna once again was glaring at the wall, since she'd been sent out of history for telling Mr. Smith that he was an ass for badmouthing communism. But for some reason, it hadn't made her feel better and rebellious like she thought it would. She was still feeling like a complete bitch for what she'd said to Guy. And she felt even worse when she realized how right he was.  
  
She DIDN'T know him, and yet she judged him so harshly and so quickly. She'd had no right to do that. She didn't know anyone really, yet all she did was judge, and tell everyone what she believed to be true. Donna found herself wondering if she wasn't somewhat of a bitch.  
  
"I AM a bitch..." She mumbled unhappily, falling against the wall and sighing. "I had absolutely no right to say that to him, and I did..."  
  
"We all make mistakes sometimes."  
  
Donna looked to her side quickly to see Guy standing there, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Shouldn't you be in class?" Donna said, looking away. Guy glanced down at his feet, and then gazed at her.  
  
"Yeah but...I saw you on my way there. I was late waking up."  
  
Donna nodded, and then didn't say anything. All Guy did was lean against the wall next to her, and Donna found herself preparing to do something she had never done before. "I'm sorry." Donna blurted. Guy looked at her, and she blushed. "I'm sorry for...for judging you and assuming and...I don't know." She sighed. "Just ruining..."  
  
She paused and Guy looked at her expectantly. "Ruining what?"  
  
"Ruining the chance of us being friends." She said. "And I didn't even think I wanted to be your friend until about...two...seconds ago." She said, looking at him. "And...I know I'm not like, Cassidy or anything, but you can sit at my table, any time you want to."  
  
Guy laughed. "You judged me again. Assuming I want to sit with Cassidy 'cause she's hot."  
  
Donna covered her mouth. "Son of a BITCH, I need to get over this." She sighed. "I'm sorry, I-"  
  
"You don't need to 'get over' anything. Be yourself." Guy said. Then he blushed. "And uh...I think you're...I dunno, I think you're...prettier than Cassidy. I mean, you don't flaunt it at all, but you're really...nice...looking..." Guy was brilliant red now, and his gaze was permanently on his shoes.  
  
Donna stared at him a moment, and when he looked up at her, she smiled. A real smile. A beautiful, real smile. "Thank you." She said. Then laughed slightly. "So uh...how was hockey?"  
  
"You know what, I...you know...that I play hockey and that Connie was my ex and all that but I don't know anything about you, so..." Guy sat down on the floor, indicating her to follow. She smiled, and did. "So what are you like?"  
  
"Shouldn't you be in class, genius?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Guy sighed.  
  
"Actually, I was kicked out of gym for breaking the balance beam because me and Fulton were dancing on it. I was caught, Fulton wasn't."  
  
Donna laughed. "I called the teacher an ass."  
  
"Why am I not surprised by this information?" Guy said, and Donna shoved him playfully. "Go on. Start. Last name, favorite things..."  
  
Donna looked at him a moment, and didn't say anything. Until finally, she smiled again. "My name is Donna Elizabeth Myra Schwartz. I like rain, apple cider and horse back riding. And I hate bananas."  
  
Guy laughed. "Bananas??"  
  
"Yes!" Donna insisted. "It's like eating baby food only in a peel."  
  
Guy snorted. "Well, at least I know you're not a monkey."  
  
Donna rolled her eyes. "What, you wanted to make sure because I look like one?"  
  
Guy backtracked. "No, I mean uh...you just...you know, I hate bananas too."  
  
They stared at each other, and then started laughing again.  
  
END OF PART 21  
  
(Oh God I love Donna. She is my fave made up character in a fic EVER. Just for the record though, I _love_ bananas.) 


	26. Mr Cellophane

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 22: Mr. Cellophane  
By Funkiechick  
  
(ALWAYS READ MY AUTHORS NOTES: A note to Dana, yes high schools can do Broadway productions, it just depends if the rights have been sold. And when my school did Joseph, we only had one narrator. Okay? So maybe your school just did things differently, and if you thought the last bit was odd, good for you. Because I like odd. I'm in shows a lot, it's a career choice for me, so I know what I'm talking about, thanks. Two, to everybody-I GOT A PART IN THE ANNE OF GREEN GABLES MUSICAL. I'm playing bitch extroardinaire, Josie Pye. So this actually is the last update in a while. Really. Also, I've noted that everyone seems to still be dead set on Guy and Connie, and just for that- GUY IS GONNA BE GAY. No, not really. Also, DONNA IS NOT A MARY SUE. Really she's not!! I promise you that, and if she became one, she would cease to be in the story. Yes, she appears as one, but Donna is far from perfect and this shows later on. Just read.)  
  
Copyright: Don't own Mighty Ducks, Don't own Chicago.  
  
Guy mumbled grumpily as he came into the locker room with the other ducks. Man was he pissed. They were being publicly humiliated by the Varsity. And hearing everyone argue angrily around him was starting to get extremely annoying. And so were Connie's glares. She was getting bitchier every day, and Guy didn't know why. He hadn't really done anything new to upset her, but all of a sudden she was turning into the shrew.  
  
As everyone bickered and Charlie acted like the King Prick (Averman had thought up the nickname), Guy noticed something very very bad...  
  
"Where are my clothes?" He said loudly. Everyone stopped bickering and turned to face him. Silence followed the comment.  
  
And the next thing Guy knew, they were staring into the showers where his, and the others clothes were being neatly bathed.  
  
"DAMNIT!!" Guy kicked the side of the shower wall hard, and swore again. "Screw this."  
  
Everyone watched in interest and astonishment as Guy stripped down to his boxers, stuffed his equipment into his locker, and proceeded to walk back to his dorm...in his underwear.  
  
The other boys shrugged, and paused a moment, as if in hesitation. Then they all too, stripped down and followed Guy promptly. Connie and Julie however, looked at each other nervously. "What are WE supposed to do?" Connie whined slightly, being grumpy and tired.  
  
Julie bit her lip, and then shrugged. However, they didn't have to worry about it for too long, because in burst Coach Orion, fuming.  
  
"Why the HELL are those boys walking back to their dorms in their UNDERWEAR??"  
  
Connie and Julie pointed to the mass of wet clothes in the shower. "Those assholes from Varsity did it." Connie scowled. "There's gonna be hell to pay."  
  
Orion sighed. "I'll give you girls some gym shorts and shirts. Walk back in those and return them at tomorrow's practice. Why didn't the boys stick around?..." He mumbled, leaving to grab the gym wear. "Morons..."  
  
"They even soaked down my SPARE clothes." Julie said angrily. "And here I thought it PAID to be prepared."  
  
"Not when it comes to war..." Connie said evilly, rubbing her hands together. "Let the pranks begin..."  
  
--------------------------------  
  
  
"So you're telling me we could've stuck around and walked back in actual CLOTHING?" Charlie exclaimed. He sunk his head onto the table. "I'm gonna kill myself...if only Linda hadn't seen me."  
  
"If she liked you, wouldn't she be HAPPY to have seen you?" Luis said, eating into his sandwich, then rubbing his hands on his napkin. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a cheerleader to pursue." He stood up, winked at the table, and walked off. Fulton rolled his eyes.  
  
"Where's Ken?" Connie asked, glancing around the lunchroom, and then looking at Russ, who shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"I don't know, he said he'd meet me ten minutes ago at my dorm, but he wasn't there. I'm assuming he took a long route to avoid that big lug from the Varsity."  
  
"Those there Varsities'..." Dwayne fumed. "Soaked my favorite shirt. I say we pay 'em back a little."  
  
"But how?" Averman said. "We need to think of something really good...something that'll make them want to kill us."  
  
"Don't we want to avoid being killed?" Julie asked. Everyone ignored her. However as they started to plan a good payback (Connie slamming her hands on the table in effect) Kenny seemed to have entered the cafeteria un-noticed, and he sat himself down beside Russ, and everyone stopped talking."  
  
"Oi vey..." Goldburg said, staring at Ken. "Where did you get that shiner?"  
  
It was true. Ken Wu had an undeniably painful looking black eye. Connie made an eepish sound, and scurried next to him at the table. "Kenny, are you okay?" She shook her head. "Jesus, that looks like it hurts."  
  
"It does." Ken answered, and he pulled his head way from her hand. "Lay off, I don't wanna talk about it."  
  
Everyone was silent after that, but they all knew what had happened when they saw the infamous lug from the Varsity come thumping into the lunchroom, pointing and laughing at Ken, and Adam Banks not far behind...however, not smiling, nor laughing.  
  
"You need to stand up to him, man." Fulton said, shaking his head. "Or he's gonna kill you."  
  
"He's three times bigger than me." Ken said, biting half-heartily into his muffin. "How do YOU suggest I go about it? Now can we please change the subject?"  
  
Guy, who hadn't spoken until then, glared at everyone. "Leave him alone, he doesn't want to talk about it."  
  
Connie shot a glare at Guy. "He doesn't need you to defend him, Guy."  
  
Guy just stared back at her. "Well, I doubt he wants his girlfriend fighting his battles for him either."  
  
Everyone made a choking sound (since they'd resumed eating as soon as Guy and Connie started fighting, but were interrupted by Guy's little comment.) Julie and Russ, however, didn't seem surprised.  
  
"Shut up!" Connie snapped, but Charlie wouldn't let the subject go.  
  
"Are you two DATING?" Charlie asked. Connie ignored this, and kept shouting at Guy, who was rolling his eyes and looking at the ceiling. Ken looked at everyone, shrugged, and then nodded. Hardly anyone, except for the two other people who knew, could believe it.  
  
"When did this happen?" Dwayne asked, seeming hysterical and very sad. "I...I thought Connie and GUY-"  
  
"Oh it did HAPPEN when we were Connie and Guy." Guy said, making a face at his ex-girlfriend. "It just took her awhile to tell me."  
  
"Screw you!" Connie snapped. "Like we were even a couple anymore, anyway!"  
  
"It still counts!"  
  
"It-"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Ken shouted. Connie and Guy stared at him as he stood up angrily. "Guy, fuck you for losing your temper, and Connie..." He took a deep breath. "Fuck YOU for being insensitive." He shook his head and seemed ready to say something else, but thought better of it. "I...I have to leave."  
  
And leave he did. But not without Connie burying her head in her hands and then looking back up at Guy. "Can you PLEASE..." She said, taking a breath. "Just...leave me alone?"  
  
And then she stood up, rushing after Ken. Guy raised his eyebrows slightly, and looked at everyone else. "What?" He asked, and he went back to his lunch as if nothing had even happened.  
  
Everyone decided that that was the action they should follow, and they all went back to their own lunches as well.  
  
Averman, however, glanced up at Guy angrily. "What is your PROBLEM?" He said. And then Guy just burst out laughing. Laughing so hard that no one really knew what to do.   
  
"Should we check his lunch...?" Charlie asked half-heartily. Everyone made a dive for Guy's cuisine (Guy was still in stitches) but Dwayne and Fulton stopped them.   
  
"It's the first time Guy has laughed in about a YEAR." Fulton said, folding his arms. "I mean, it's WEIRD, but at least he's laughing."  
  
"You should leave him alone." Dwayne nodded, proud of his and Fulton's discovery. Everyone contemplated this (Russ seemed ready to eat Guy's lunch anyway, but after considering what Fulton and the cowboy had said, let it be.)  
  
So Guy laughed. For the rest of the lunch period.  
  
  
---------------------------  
  
Julie Gaffney was considering the theory that all of her teammates were going insane. Nothing else could explain Ken's sudden anger, Connie's sudden almost-tears plea at Guy, and Guy's sudden fit of hysteria. Everything was very SUDDEN.  
  
And all Julie knew was that she personally believed she was one of the only ones out of all of them that wasn't completely insane. She didn't have a boyfriend, and she was very happy with that. And if she ever saw Dean Portman again, she wouldn't even consider feeling about him the way she had before. All Julie wanted to concentrate on now was hockey and school. The fact she was the goalie now, the official Ducks goalie, changed everything.   
  
So now, she just couldn't accept anymore distractions. A scholarship was in order, so Julie was going to work as hard as she could at school so she could prepare to get into an Ivy League once she was in the twelfth grade. She had everything planned out. And nothing could take that away from her.  
  
She was so absorbed in her thoughts, she hadn't seen where she was going, and banged head on into a fellow hallway pedestrian. A big one, so she went flying backwards, her books toppling on top of her.  
  
"Geez!" He said. "Are you okay?"  
  
Julie was prepared to just nod her head, say an apology and continue on her way, but then she saw him. He was from the Varsity team. She didn't know his name and she didn't care to. Julie grabbed her books, and ignored his hand offering to help her up. "I'm fine." She said coldly, and tried to work her way past him. But such as high school is, the halls were extremely crowded.  
  
"Hey." He said, picking another book up off of the floor. "Here, you forgot this."  
  
Julie stared at him, and grabbed the book. She tried to leave again, but he took hold of her wrist. "Can I help you?" Julie snapped.  
  
He stared at her. "You're from the freshmen team!" He insisted. "Right?" He smiled. "You're the goalie."  
  
Julie continued frowning. "What's your point?"  
  
He seemed unfazed by her unfriendliness. "My point is I've seen you play." He smiled. "You're really great!"  
  
It was at this point that Julie noticed just how cute he was. She cleared her throat, and looked away from him. "Thank you."  
  
"You're Julie Gaffney." He smiled. "You can call me Scooter."  
  
'Scooter??!!' "Sure." Julie said, composing herself. "That's great. Bye."  
  
And she turned around and left, hoping to God he hadn't seen her blush. But Scooter was too busy watching her leave, a grin on his face.  
  
------------------------  
  
Guy and Ken weren't saying much. Such is, Ken was studying, Guy was scribbling away at his algebra homework, knowing full well he wasn't really getting anywhere with it. And the nerve racking quiet between the two usually talkative friends, was really starting to get to him.  
  
"You're angry at me, aren't you?" Guy asked. Ken shrugged, and then nodded his head. The black eye made Ken look more vulnerable than Guy cared for.   
  
"You had no right to say what you did." Ken said. "You said you'd keep it a secret."  
  
"Everyone was bound to find out anyway." Guy said, his guilt causing him to feign aloofness. Ken glared at him however and Guy found he wasn't very good at pretending around Ken. "I know, I know. I'm sorry."  
  
"You need to stop trying to hurt each other, you and Connie." Ken said. "You're supposed to be friends."  
  
"Key word." Guy said. "SUPPOSED."  
  
Ken just shook his head. "I don't want you using me, then." Ken mumbled. "I'm already nothing as it is."  
  
Guy stared at him, and hesitated before asking. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I just mean that no one notices me. Except for Connie and Russ. And sometimes you." Ken shook his head. "I'm nothing to the Ducks. If one of us were to be killed in a car accident, then..." Ken looked up at Guy, who was staring back at him with a tragic sort of expression. "Then it would have to be me. Because I'm the one they'd miss the least."  
  
Guy shook his head. "Shut up." He snapped. "You don't know what you're talking about. We'd all miss you, and we all see you."  
  
"No you don't. And that's why you're defensive about it." Ken shrugged. "Because it's true."  
  
And Ken didn't talk for the rest of the night. Yet Guy couldn't help feeling a lot more guilty about lunchtime than he had before. It was funny how sometimes, the oddest of conversations could make you feel closer to a person. Because Guy realized now that no matter what Ken said, Guy would miss him if he was gone. And he had a feeling that Ken knew that too.  
  
END OF PART 22  
  
(Short part. Another one wont be coming for awhile I don't think. Yes, the title is from Chicago. And yes, it is referring to Ken. Bye...cellophane, mr. Cellophane...shoulda been my name, mr. Cellophane. 'Cause you can look right through me, walk right by me...and never know I'm there.) 


	27. Authors Note 2: I Apologize

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
By Funkiechick  
  
AUTHORS NOTE:  
  
Yes, another authors note chapter to answer everyone's questions. The Averman add-on is being worked on this very second and will be the next part posted up, whenever that is. Another thing, to Eriks-Lil-Rocker. I apologize to you and everyone else for seeming pissed off in my last part. I WAS pissed off and in a very bad mood since it was three in the morning, and I had just received some flames about my writing. All of them consisting of: Donna being a Mary Sue, Guy and Connie being together, and such. I'm sorry I took it out on my loyal fans and readers who have been nothing but good to me. I am having a very bad week and I did not mean to snap at anyone. I'm very sorry. And I know I should be grateful for the e-mails I receive.  
  
Understand I just ended a relationship with someone, I've been getting flamed so much in one week that I don't understand why (don't worry, I am not referring to anyone who has written reviews...these flamers don't do that) and not to mention I'm completely stressed out. And it isn't your fault.  
  
You have all been absolutely fantastic, and I have been completely bratty, tired and snappish. I apologize once more. I still love you all, and I'm still so glad that you read and like this fanfic, despite the fact my writing lately has been in a slump, so I'm not at my best.  
  
-Funkiechick-  
  
P.s. On a happy note, I found a Beatles poster I've been looking for, and I bought an awesome shirt for ten bucks. 


	28. Coming Soon

Hi everyone! This is an authors note that is stating:  
  
I AM NOT DEAD. =) Just tired. And busy. But you'll be glad to know that part 23 is almost halfway done. I should have two parts up by Sunday. I finally got around to rewatching D3, and it really refreshed my memory. Sorry about the long wait.  
  
In the mean time- CHICAGO WON BEST PICTURE! WOOOO.  
  
SO yes. Two parts up before or by Sunday. After that, it depends on my homework situation, and since opening night is in a month, I will be very busy. But just imagine, in the summer...  
  
MILLIONS OF UPDATES.  
  
Ok. See you all soon.  
  
_Funkiechick_ 


	29. Talking To Walls

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
Part 23: Talking To Walls  
By Funkiechick  
  
(And I'm back! Yay! But don't expect to much because school is heavy. Writing this is a lot more fun than doing bio, I assure you. And what with Anne of Green Gables, Funkiechick is a busy gal. BUT-It is spring break. GLAD TO BE BACK. _ Enjoy.)  
  
Guy found himself walking to math class early, with a bit of a spring in his step. Granted, not the type of spring that was part of his walks usually-when him and Connie were together-but more of a seeing-Donna type of spring.  
  
Which was perfectly nice in it's own way.  
  
He hoped she would have the same idea. To meet him there early. Even though the attraction between both of them was building, it hadn't been announced. And Guy was never one to just outright confess, now that he thought about it. With Connie, that was different. He knew her so well, he grew up with her. He was just getting to know Donna, however. And that was...well, exciting.  
  
He turned the corner and felt himself smile when he saw a head of red hair. Donna was leaning against the math room door, her hemp canvas bag with all her books slumped on the floor, and her arms crossed. She didn't see him, she was looking the other way. Guy had a feeling she was glancing around for him.  
  
So when he came up behind her, and let his hand rest on her waist, she didn't rapidly turn around in surprise. She knew it was him. She turned to him and smiled, then blushed slightly, and stepped away from his touch.  
  
"Hey." She nodded, biting her lip.  
  
Guy smiled at her discomfort. She had never felt this way about anyone before, he could tell. He could tell anything with her it was starting to seem. "Hey. What are YOU doing up so early?"  
  
She crossed her arms, blocking off any more physical contact. "I could ask you the same question."  
  
"Why do you think, Donna?" Guy shrugged. "To see you."  
  
She stared at him, her face almost as red as her hair, and Guy was busy contemplating what she would do next. She was so easy to read, but her actions themselves were totally unpredictable. All he knew was that he wished more than anything she would bring down this barrier that she had been putting up.  
  
Two weeks ago she had come to see several of his hockey games (and laughed when Guy told her about Julie's 'Fulton scored, Fulton scored, I am really really bored...') and people were starting to label them. Not officially, but people were expecting Donna to be with Guy. Or Guy to be with Donna.  
  
But since Donna learned of this, she was starting to shy, despite her little flashes of affection, which let Guy know that she felt the same way he was starting to feel.  
  
But he was glad she was holding back at the same time. A part of him still felt as if he was cheating on Connie. But Guy figured that by the time him and Donna DID hook up, he would be over Connie Moreau. Despite what parts of him were saying.  
  
But hey...he can like two girls at once, can't he? And he can't have one of them, so problem solved. There really wasn't anything he could do about Connie anymore. She didn't feel the same. Thus...Guy went to Donna.  
  
Which wasn't bad. Not bad at all. In fact, he was started to feel downright giddy around Donna.  
  
"What?" Donna asked. "You're staring at me."  
  
"You're just cute." Guy grinned. "So...swear at any innocents lately?"  
  
Donna punched his shoulder in a tomboyish fashion (AKA, it hurt). "Screw you, dillhole. People I swear at deserve it."  
  
"Oh yeah, real charming." He rolled his eyes. Flirting with her. Bugging her. "You're just a treat."  
  
She didn't say anything then, and then sighed. "Look, Guy, I have to talk about this."  
  
Uh oh.  
  
"What?" Guy asked.  
  
"Frankly..." Donna looked at him. "I don't want to talk to you. Because...I'm not ready to talk to you. So I'm telling you to screw off in the nicest possible way."  
  
Guy stared at her. Okay, so what if she wanted to take things slow. But...WHAT? "WHAT?"  
  
She frowned. "You heard me. So leave me alone. I'll talk to you when I can."  
  
"You selfish little brat."  
  
"I am not selfish!" Donna stomped her foot. "YOU'RE just acting like we're married."  
  
"You didn't exactly complain, carrot-top." Guy said calmly. She was just bullshitting now, and she knew it. But it seemed Guy was realizing that Donna was indeed not perfect. And it was annoying him slightly. She deceived him, or his crush did.  
  
Like when he realized Connie wasn't perfect.  
  
"You just need to deal with the fact that..." Donna took a breath. "You're a square, okay? A jock, a hockey player, you like cheerleaders." Donna put her hands on her hips. "And frankly-"  
  
"Stop being such a tryhard at your non-conformity." Guy snapped. "Donna, I'll be frank. I like you. I want to DATE you. And if I like someone, I don't care what other people think. You're probably the only non-conformist, individualist I have ever met, who cares so much about what people think about her."  
  
Donna stared at him with an unreadable expression on her face. "Fine." She shrugged. "Think what you want. Not my problem."  
  
She turned on her heel, and Guy grabbed her wrist. "You forgot your bag." He picked it up, and when he handed it to her, purposely intertwined her fingers with his. "Stop being such a bitch."  
  
She pulled her hand away. "I am so not speaking to you."  
  
With that she stormed off, her bag slug over her shoulder. Yes indeed, Donna Parks was quite possibly one of the most imperfect girls Guy had ever met. And he found himself even more annoyed with the fact he liked her even more for it. But hey...he had to avoid her. Until she was ready.  
  
God. How annoying.  
  
But he couldn't do anything. Guy found himself being faced with more and more blocked off conversations. More and more of his friends putting up walls and barriers to avoid being seen, or getting hurt. He didn't know what it meant, but Donna's wall was a tough one. Like his own was.   
  
Why was it things seemed so dysfunctional lately?  
  
_____________________  
Lunchtime was a joyous occasion, and thus since the Ducks had so few of these lately, they took them seriously. They did not allow any more arguments to happen, did not allow any yelling. And when other Ducks couldn't join their table that day, they left the griping until AFTER lunch.  
  
However, what Julie "The Cat" Gaffney was currently doing had caused all of the residents of todays Duck table (Connie, Fulton, Guy, Ken, Averman, Luis and Russ) to stare open mouthed at the usually well contained and pretty duck.  
  
She was stuffing herself. With PASTRY.  
  
ON THE DAY OF A GAME.  
  
Not just one pastry mind you. A whole tray full, mountains of cakes, cupcakes, turnovers, donuts...the list went on. And all the Ducks could do at that moment was stare at Julie. Who wasn't quitting anytime fast.  
  
"Uhm...Julie?" Connie ventured. Julie swallowed her cupcake, and smiled at Connie. Icing was all over Julie's nose. It could have been cute, but due to the disgusting circumstances, wasn't. Hence the male wincing.  
  
"Yeah?" Julie replied.  
  
"You are totally going to so screwed over tonight." Connie pointed at the tray. "I mean, sweets are all fun and good, but not as an entire meal. You wont be able to MOVE during the game."  
  
There was silence.  
  
"What are you saying?" Julie asked.  
  
"You've packed on a few pounds there, Jules." Russ patted Julie's stomach. Silence followed this comment. It was true, Julie had put on a little, but not noticeably. She was fit enough as it was. However, her thighs had looked a little on the couch potato side recently.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Julie glared at Russ.  
  
"NO no, what he means..." Connie searched for words. "That kind of food is NOT good for your system. EsPECIALLY if you're an athlete."  
  
Connie glared at Ken, who was about to mention something about Connie pigging out all the time. When he saw her glare, he rolled his eyes and went back to eating his sandwich.  
  
"Goldburg eats this sort of stuff all the time!" Julie argued. "And he's been goalie for HOW long?"  
  
"And who's goalie NOW?" Luis answered.  
  
Guy nodded his head. "Seriously Jules. And besides, you're gonna be puking all that up again. Didn't you get the hint from last practice?"  
  
"I thought I had the flu..." Julia answered weakly.  
  
"Jules, baby, sweetie..." Averman grinned, leaning into her. "You do REALIZE that you're supposed to be big on health? You're making a complete fool of yourself. And Goldburg has made you a sucker."  
  
"Not the candy kind." Fulton added in. there were a few snorts of laughter. Julie looked around the table, then around the lunchroom. Goldburg was now entering with Charlie. They were laughing.  
  
"Excuse me." Julie stood up, grabbed her tray of food, and walked over to Goldburg.  
  
She then proceeded to smash all the pastry on top of him. She mushed cupcake on his head, stuck donuts in his pockets...the works.  
  
She then proceeded to drop the tray, dust off her hands, and then walk out of the room. The whole cafeteria watched her go, and then the Ducks table burst into applause.  
  
"SHUT UP!!" Goldburg yelled, and he shoved Charlie who was laughing the loudest, despite not knowing much of the situation.  
  
As they two Ducks joined the Duck table, no one noticed that Scooter had left the Varsity table and followed Julie out of the cafeteria.  
  
_______________  
Julie stomped down the hall, her face red with embarrassment, and wiping the whipped cream off of her nose. Why hadn't she seen what Goldburg was trying to do? Make her gain weight so she'd lose the position...what kind of a joke was that supposed to be?  
  
She thought he was her friend. She didn't care if it was a joke or anything. Her feelings were actually hurt. And that didn't happen to Julie very often.  
  
"Julie!"  
  
Julie stopped, and turned around, then felt herself blush. Scooter. Oh no, Scooter... And here she was, ten pounds heavier, and having just displayed a violent act against Goldburg.  
  
"Hi." Julie muttered out. She looked down at the floor, and she could feel Scooters gaze on her. She looked back up at him.  
  
"That was HILARIOUS." Scooter laughed. "Good for you. I was wondering when you'd trick him."  
  
Julie blinked. "Trick him?"  
  
"Well." Scooter smiled at her. "I mean, you always look great, and you're so fit you didn't gain anything, so eating all that and then throwing it right back in his face was brilliant."  
  
Scooter thought she always look great? He didn't notice that she had gained TEN pounds? She hadn't wanted to notice it before. Her denial had called it muscle.  
  
"Uh...YES." Julie nodded. "That is exactly what I did." She folded her arms across her chest. "Yes. Only you seemed to pick it up."  
  
She had to go back to acting cold again, no matter how hard it was. He was still Varsity. She'd be damned before she was a traitor. "Julie. Listen, I've been trying to-"  
  
"Anyway, nice talking to you. But I'm not going to be giving away any Ducks secrets, so you can call off the hunt. Tell your friends that you're getting nothing from me."  
  
With that, Julie turned around and stomped off towards her dorm. She heard Scooter calling after her, and she immediately felt guilty. She knew that wasn't why he talked to her. To be frank, she kind of liked him too. But he was on the team she hated. She didn't like him THAT much. And she didn't care how snobby that sounded.  
  
Thus, she tried to pass the rest of lunch by doing sit ups on the floor. She had twenty minutes to kill until next class, and she had to get rid of all those donuts.  
  
___________________  
Guy yawned loudly, as he flopped down into bed. He checked his watch. Only 7:30pm, and he had just finished his homework. Practice had ended at 6, early for Orion. But he found out all of their scheduled exams, so he let them off to study.  
  
Ken had made Guy read over his books, despite Guy's desperate attempts to ignore his homework and just go to sleep. But Guy had been done in an hour, and Ken was still reading away about Chemistry.  
  
"Kenny, man..." Guy yawned. "Stop being a brain and talk to me, man. I am so tired."  
  
"I have a lot left, Guy." Ken turned around to face him from his chair. "And it's all due in three days. I want to finish it up tonight, I have time."  
  
"THREE DAYS?" Guy exclaimed from his position on the bed. "Are you insane? What kind of weirdo are you? Stop doing your homework and talk to me."  
  
Ken didn't say anything a moment, and then he sighed and went off into his own bed. Both were in pj's (they changed before they had started working). Ken made a face at Guy.  
  
"If I fail Chem, it's your fault."  
  
"You wont fail, Wu. You couldn't possibly. You study too much, it's all lodged away there in your brain."  
  
Ken laughed. "You have idiotic logic. I promised my mom that no matter what I did, I'd keep my grades up. You know? I mean, it's not as if I'm going to be a professional hockey player. So I'm making sure I don't drop out."  
  
"Huh." Guy shrugged. "I don't care either way, right now. Tiredness over comes me."  
  
"I see your mom isn't as demanding as my mom is."  
  
Guy was quiet and then he shrugged again, finding himself thinking of his mother once more. And thinking whether or not she was alright. The pain, the constant aching that usually resided inside him every day, was numb. He had found a way to ebb back all of the memories and all of Max. Sooner or later, Guy knew it would all come tumbling out. But until then, Guy was holding strong-he refused to hurt all the time.  
  
Ken looked at Guy, and Guy felt the air between them turn serious. "How are things, Guy?"  
  
Guy shrugged. "I don't know, really. I try not to think about anything. Eden Hall is an escape. I don't have to see her, or Max. The pain isn't there as much."  
  
"Have you called your mom?"  
  
"Not too recently."  
  
"I see." Ken nodded. "You're avoiding everything."  
  
"Do you have a better alternative?" Guy snapped, more meanly than he intended. "Because personally, I'm sick of feeling shitty all the time. I figure, if I numb it away just enough, it'll stop being there all together if I really try hard at it."  
  
Ken leaned back in his bed. "Guy, you can't keep pushing everything away. Sooner or later you're going to break. When are you going to talk with your mom? You're not healing, just denying everything."  
  
"I'm not ready to heal." Guy said softly. "It hurts more than the actual ache does. I don't know...I just feel like I'm here. I'm at Eden. And I'm not going to let everything spoil me anymore. I have a chance at being a normal kid. And I'm going to use it, no matter how much it fills up the dam."  
  
Ken sat up, resting his arms on his knees. "Quite the policy."  
  
"You would know." Guy said bravely. "We're alike that way, Kenny. Both of us hold everything back."  
  
"My hurt isn't like yours." Ken said. "Mine...doesn't matter."  
  
"What you just said proves it does." Guy said. "Pain is pain. You and me are feeling it. And denying it. Sooner or later, we're both going to have some sort of breakdown. You in your way, and me in mine."  
  
Ken shrugged his shoulders. He wished Guy didn't know about how he felt. The last thing Ken wanted was to confront his own insecurities about being invisible to the team. And knowing all of them were wondering what Connie saw in him.  
  
"Wanna take turns on the gameboy?" Ken asked.  
  
Guy took the hint. "Yeah! Get it out, we'll go by levels."  
  
And indeed they would. Level by Level, Ken and Guy were going further into denial, and sooner or later neither would know how to get out.  
  
END OF PART 23  
  
(Lots of serious moments in this. And lots of romance. Personally, I'm going to let you all know that Julie and Portman are destiny in my eyes. So Scooter and Julie wont go very far. I dunno, I have big plans between Portman and Julie. I have a hint for all of you: The performance for Musical Theatre, the final night, is a big deal for Julie and Portman AND Guy and Donna AND Connie and Ken, and suprisingly, Connie and Guy. But I wont say anything else. =) Unless you give me donuts because now I REALLY want some. Also, I just noticed how adult I make Ken and Guy sound. It's weird, but I'm tired and not about to go fix this one chapter. Besides, it's part of their personalities. ENJOY. Anyway, bye.) 


	30. El Asshole

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine Part 24: El Asshole By Funkiechick  
  
(I rewatched the movie! Look at me go, writing in all these details. New part already. Have fun! Expect an update more or two over the weekend. I'm in a super mood.)  
  
"I feel so girly!!" Julie squealed, as she brushed her hair. "God, listen to me. I'm even being a ditz."  
  
"You got that right." Connie grinned, and Julie chucked the brush at her.  
  
"You know what I mean." Julie put her hands on her curvy hips. I mean, I like being a tomboy-I AM a tomboy. But sometimes it's nice to dress up. I mean, this is a huge dinner at a fancy resteraunt! You know how awesome that is?"  
  
"I know what you mean." Connie pulled on her long skirt. "I guess I kind of like dressing up too. And I get to see Ken in dress pants." Connie smiled and gave the thumbs up. "This is a very good thing."  
  
Julie rolled her eyes, and fixed up her hair into a cute style that her older sister had taught her. "If the guys heard us talking this way, they'd run away. Far away."  
  
"If WE hear girls talk like this, we usually do too. But for some reason, when you're dressed up, it's like tomboyish-ness takes a break."  
  
Julie nodded, and then smiled. "I'm still slugging Goldburg for trying to get me fat though."  
  
Connie pulled on her shoes, and started to make for the door, Julie behind her. "Well you kind of walked into it. I mean.you thought a PASTRY was packed with energy? The right kind, no less?"  
  
"Oh shut up." Julie snapped. "How was I supposed to know a veteran would act like a rookie?"  
  
"It's Goldburg, what do you expect?"  
  
"Point taken."  
  
Connie locked their dorm behind them as they walked towards the entrance of the school. Julie had said Scooter offered them both a ride, and Connie was a little suspicious to be frank. Even though Julie spent an hour claiming she barely knew Scooter, that he just offered out of nowhere, Connie had an idea that there was more going on between Julie and Scooter than Julie was letting on.  
  
As they stepped out into the front lawn, Connie smiled and looked up at the stars. "It's so WARM."  
  
"Yeah I know." Julie agreed. "Feels so weird to play hockey when it's warm out here. I don't think I'll ever get used to that."  
  
They were interrupted by a car honk. They looked around, and then saw a red sports car in the parking lot. Connie stared at it open-mouthed, and followed Julie who was walking calmly towards it.  
  
They walked up next to the car, and the window was rolled down. It was Eric, caption of the Varsity. Scooter was sitting in the backseat.  
  
"What are you-" Julie started.  
  
"Shot gun!!!" Connie burst out, rushing to the other side of the car, and opening the door to take her seat next to Eric. "Holy shit, this is awesome!"  
  
Julie rolled her eyes, and then got in the back seat next to Scooter. "How did you know to sit back here?"  
  
"I didn't picture you as a shotgun type of girl. I don't really like shot gun either." Scooter smiled at her. Julie blushed, and looked down at her hands. She would never get used to Scooter's affections. He was two years older than her, and so.well.jockish. He had all those cheerleaders falling all over him all the time, and he was so good-looking.  
  
She shook her head, and found herself thinking of Portman to get her mind off of Scooter. Which only made her angry. Stupid Portman, didn't come to Eden.  
  
She turned to look at Scooter as the car started and Eric pulled out of the school parking lot. "Yeah, I don't like shotgun either."  
  
Scooter smiled, and the two started a conversation. A simple, guy meets girl he likes, conversation.  
  
In the front seat, Connie was marveling at the car. "Is this seriously yours?" Connie said, smiling at Eric in a purely 'I'm only admiring your car' way. "How did you get it?"  
  
"Saved up since I was two." Eric grinned at her. "You like cars?"  
  
"Duh." Connie grinned. "I'm in mechanics."  
  
"Cool." Eric nodded, as they drove on. "You know how to handle.tools, then?" He grinned at her. Connie raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Yeah, and I know how to handle YOU, too. So don't try it." Connie folded her arms across her chest proudly, and leaned back in her seat. Eric kept smiling.  
  
"I see you're feisty."  
  
"I see you don't take a hint."  
  
"I missed the part where I said I'd give up." He winked. "You know you want me."  
  
Connie rolled her eyes and tried to look at Julie through the mirror. But she was too busy laughing and talking with Scooter. "Shut up and drive."  
  
_____________________  
  
Guy knew he should have been prepared as soon as the red sports car pulled up, but now that he thought about it, he'd never seen Connie truly dressed up before. And now that she was growing up, developing.she looked just beautiful.  
  
So did Julie, and Guy couldn't help but notice that Russ was sending a few surprised glances her way. Julie was too engrossed in conversation with the Varsity Goalie to notice.  
  
Guy found himself looking at Connie again. God.why couldn't she be ugly and just have a great personality?? Actually.why couldn't she be ugly with a HORRIBLE personality? And how about she couldn't play hockey to add to that?  
  
But no. She had to be stunningly pretty, with a great personality and one of the best damned hockey players in the school. And holding hands with Ken.  
  
She was clutching Ken's hand, looking blushy and girly and very non- Connie with her skirt and heels on, and her hair piled up prettily on the top of her head. Yes. It was at moments like these where all Guy wanted was for Ken to not have that something about him-whatever it was-that made Connie like him so much.  
  
"Your left wing is a fox." Guy turned and looked to his left to see Eric, Varsity Caption looking at Connie. "I mean, so is your goalie, man. But your left wing has this fiery thing going on."  
  
"Yeah, and that fiery thing caused her to dump me." Guy spat, and then sighed. "I swear to God, I wish she didn't look so good."  
  
Why was he confiding in a VARSITY???  
  
"Hey man." Eric clapped a hand on Guy's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. You know? Oh by the way, Scooter has his eye on The Cat, so make sure you warn her because he's head over heels."  
  
Guy glanced at Scooter and Julie. It seemed as if Julie felt the same way about Scooter as he did about her. Man, if Portman were here.  
  
If Portman were here, perhaps the Ducks would all be in a better position than they were with Coach Orion. Portman had that knack. But Portman wasn't there, and he and everyone else had to get used to it.  
  
Guy didn't think anyone ever would though.  
  
They all finished meeting up, and finally went inside to the ritzy restaurant. Ken and Connie holding hands, Julie and Scooter talking.everyone was in an odd pair. Charlie and Eric.Cole and Fulton.  
  
Guy shook his head, and followed them all inside.  
  
___________________  
  
Connie took a swig of water after a big bite of salmon. God this was heaven.she couldn't believe they had lucked out so much by this stupid tradition. But hey, Jocks always took traditions seriously. AND, Ken had worn dress pants, which made his figure skater butt look VERY nice indeed. Connie shot Ken a wink across the table. He smiled shyly at her. Yes, dress pants were good.  
  
The guy sitting next to her, a defense men named Corey, gave her a nudge. "So you and the figure skater are dating, eh?"  
  
Connie smiled. "Yeah. We are. He's a really good hockey player too."  
  
"Yeah, I've seen him." Corey leaned toward her. "So are you, I've seen you play. How do you do that trick to the left? You seem so speedy."  
  
"Oh THAT." Connie brushed her hands together. "It's easy. Really, all-" She stopped talking as she saw Guy go up to go to the washroom. He looked really good. Times like these made Connie wish she and Guy didn't have history together. "Anyway.what was I saying?"  
  
"You were.uh." Corey's head shot up, and Connie suddenly realized that while she had been talking to Guy, Corey's eye line had gone below her neck.wonderful. Were there no more gentlemen in this world?  
  
Yes. Luckily she was dating the last one.  
  
"My eyes are up here." Connie said, turning away from Corey to eat another piece of salmon.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't.I wasn't-"  
  
"Right."  
  
"You-" Corey was cut off as Scooter and Cole all stood up(Scooter reluctantly, for he was speaking with Julie) and they started toward the washroom. Adam soon got up as well, and Corey smiled at Connie. "Excuse me."  
  
Corey stood up and left, and Connie watched him quizzically. Since when did GUYS go to the washroom in groups? She looked at Ken across the table, and saw he was gazing at her. She smiled brightly at him.  
  
"You look really nice, Connie." Ken said sincerely. Connie felt herself blushing (something she never did too often) and bit her bottom lip.  
  
"So do you." She said. Ken nodded, and went back to talking to the Varsity next to him, looking slightly nervous. She just had to give him a kiss later. She had to.  
  
Guy returned a few minutes later, and Connie felt relieved when the need to kiss Ken was still there, and was not replaced or washed away because Guy looked just as nice as Ken did. Hah. It was a momentary lapse of 'Ex looking good' syndrome. She looked at Ken and felt her heart flip.  
  
Suddenly, Eric stood up, and announced that the Varsity all had a surprise for the Ducks, and they all proceeded to leave. Everyone looked around with confusion, until Guy broke into the conversation with a big smile.  
  
It was a cake, he told them. They were getting a cake.  
  
Julie had the biggest smile on her face of all. "Could tonight get any better?" She said to one in particular. She was looking particularly blushy.  
  
Yes, Connie agreed in her head. Tonight couldn't get any better.  
  
_________________  
  
Nope, Guy agreed in his head. Tonight couldn't get any worse.  
  
Guy groaned as he, Fulton and Ken scrubbed at the floors. Those god damned Varsity.ooooh, were they going to pay.  
  
"I swear to God." Fulton growled, as he scrubbed away. "Charlie is going to go crazy because of this. We have to get this to stop."  
  
"We need to calm down first." Ken said, the only calm one in the room. "We wont be able to think of anything if we're mad. We'll have to wait before we actually get some revenge."  
  
Fulton and Guy didn't say anything. Guy was swearing violently as he scrubbed at the floor, and Fulton was shaking his head, trying to calm himself. And Ken.well, wasn't really showing anything. He was just being Ken.  
  
"Why does this always HAPPEN??" Guy snapped. "God, I swear, those stupid Varsity think they're all so smart and tough because they buy cakes and make other people pay for them."  
  
Fulton and Ken looked oddly at Guy. "Uh.Guy?" Fulton said. "Settle down, okay?"  
  
"I say." Guy pushed the broom to the floor. "That we get them back ultimately.make them pay."  
  
"Guy-"  
  
"Make them scream."  
  
"GUY."  
  
"Make them-"  
  
Ken smacked Guy on the back of the head, causing Guy to snap out of his trance, and look over at Ken. "Shut up." Fulton said.  
  
"Sorry." Guy mumbled, and went back to scrubbing the floor. However, in his head.  
  
'Make them beg for mercy.heh heh heh.'  
  
__________________  
  
Connie and Julie groaned as they stepped on the bus behind the other Ducks to get back to Eden. Connie knew her skirt needed to be washed after kneeling on the bathroom floor for so long. She was too tired to be mad anymore, but she knew her rage and burn for revenge would return in the morning.  
  
Connie sat down next to Ken, slumped onto him and promptly fell asleep. Averman did the same to Luis, who looked too exhausted to do anything but say 'please get off.'  
  
All in all, Charlie was the only one really awake. He looked around at his beaten Ducks, and growled. "I can't believe this." Charlie spat. "They are dead OOOOOH are they dead."  
  
"Keep it DOWN." Averman smacked Charlie on the head.  
  
"Don't you tell me to keep it down, carrot top!" Charlie snapped. "Don't any of you have any GUTS?? Am I the only real Duck around here anymore? Connie is dating everyone back and forth-"  
  
"Shut up, Charlie!!" Ken exclaimed before Connie or anyone else could. But Charlie wouldn't quit.  
  
"Julie is flirting her ass off with the goalie-"  
  
"Hey shut up!" Julie snapped. "You don't even know him."  
  
Charlie stared at her. "He's part of Varsity."  
  
"Well so is Adam." Luis added.  
  
"Yeah, and we know he aint so bad." Russ nodded. "I mean, he's a cake eater, but he's our friend."  
  
"He said he didn't know about this." Goldburg added.  
  
"Oh.ooooh, this is RICH." Charlie laughed. "My team, the team that I am the CAPTION of, is turning on me. two sluts and a bunch of-"  
  
With that, Averman shoved Charlie harshly into the wall of the bus. The bus driver was too tired to hear anything, but everyone else watched in amazement at Averman.  
  
"Stop acting like this, Charlie." Averman snapped. "It was a prank. A dumb prank, and you can't keep turning on us every time something doesn't go in just the direction you planned it. Life doesn't work that way!"  
  
"Than how DOES it work, LESTER?" Charlie leered. "By making a joke out of everything, even though you're in actuality a red headed, glasses wearing, NERD?" Charlie's voice broke. "Is that how it works?"  
  
Averman stared at Charlie and shook his head. "I don't know how it works, Charlie. But I never took you as the materialistic type. You say you hate this school when you're turning into everyone and everything you hate about it. I don't care what you say about me-but Connie and Julie are my friends. And you can't say those things about them. Everyone on this team is my friend. Even Adam, and he's not on our side anymore." Averman sighed. "It's not often I turn serious, Charlie. But I've had just about enough of you."  
  
Everyone was silent as Charlie stared long and hard at Averman, and then winced as Fulton grabbed the back of Averman's shirt, and pulled him roughly off of Charlie.  
  
"Back off, carrot top." Fulton snapped. "You don't know what he's going through. He has an excuse."  
  
Guy spoke for the first time. "What, Fulton, are you saying that if a person is having a tough time, we can act like a dickhead to everyone else??" Guy glared. "Funny, when did this rule come into play?"  
  
"That's real funny Guy." Charlie glared. "You've become Caption Dick twice a year. I don't know, maybe you're life is screwed up, but you act a hell of a lot worse than I do."  
  
Guy glared down at Charlie. "I don't have to take this shit from you, or anyone else. Charlie, I know things may suck for you right now, but.but you don't-"  
  
"Let it go, Guy." Ken said. "Charlie doesn't care."  
  
"He does too." Fulton said quickly. "Come on you guys." He had a pleading look. "He didn't mean what he said."  
  
"I want to hear Charlie say that." Dwayne said. "I wanna hear him."  
  
They all waited patiently, and finally Charlie spoke, his voice breaking on every third or fourth word.  
  
"I'm sorry, you guys." Charlie sighed. "I.I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of it, I just.I just hate this school. I didn't mean to take it out on you. You guys are my best friends and I don't know what I would do.without you." He looked at Averman. "ALL of you."  
  
"Accepted." Connie said automatically. This was followed by some puzzled glances, considering Charlie had been especially hard on her. "What? He had a long day and he acted like a shit. I don't think he'll be doing it again soon. He learned his lesson."  
  
"Thanks, Cons." Charlie said. She shot him a glare.  
  
"However, I'M not speaking to him until tomorrow morning." She added. The bus came to a stop then, and she stood up, taking Ken's hand.  
  
"Charlie, you went overboard." Ken added. "But I forgive you because I know that wasn't Charlie. It was someone else. Someone who we wont ever see again. I trust you.and I hope you're okay. You can always talk to any of us."  
  
"He has." Fulton snapped.  
  
The silence that followed this comment lasted until they were all tucked in their dorms, unable to sleep.  
  
Lester Averman stayed up all night. He cried for a total of five minutes. Then he blocked his tears of, and stared up at the ceiling for the remainder of his time until breakfast.  
  
END OF PART 24  
  
(I needed some Averman spotlight since his add on is coming soon. I don't know when it will, but it is coming. Hope you all liked this chapter.) 


	31. Who Knows? Here Goes

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine Part 25: Who Knows? Here Goes... By Funkiechick  
  
(There! This chapter starts out cheery, but ends really heavy. Just warning you. I worked hard on it though, and it's longer than the average chapter. I'm trying to make up for my long delay. Enjoy! ^_^ Missed you all by the way. Also, the chapter title is from a RENT song called 'I Should Tell You'.)  
  
Guy and Connie were not happy.  
  
Well, Guy was a little happy, but not enough to show it. Granted, being on a roof, at night, next to Connie, would usually be a wonderful situation.  
  
But she hated him, and was dating Ken, and he was almost dating Donna, and over all it was really badly timed. Charlie was crazy to pair the two of them up for the huge Ant prank on the Varsity. But it just showed how little attention Charlie was paying to everyone these days-he seemed to not notice Guy and Connie's hatred.  
  
Connie wasn't talking to him, so Guy obliged by doing what he was told. Being a look out, which was the most boring job ever. Why he got stuck with it, with Connie, was an insult in itself. He would never forgive Charlie.  
  
"Let me see!" Connie insisted. Guy ignored her, and then finally told her to keep a look out. She huffed, folded her arms, and looked up at the sky, laying down on her back. She wasn't about to take this seriously-she was just as mad as he was that she was stuck with him.  
  
She stretched slightly and her leg brushed against his thigh. She didn't mean to do it, but Guy felt a shudder run down his spine. He was suddenly acutely aware of her presence. Damnit, here he'd thought he could control his Connie urges...  
  
He could! He knew he could. He refused to let her get to him. he absolutely refused.  
  
But his eyes didn't seem to agree. He turned slightly and looked at her, stretched out and laying down. Her eyes were closed, and she was just soaking in the moment of silence between them. She was wearing tight black Adidas pants, her hair was worn long...and once again her leg brushed against his thigh.  
  
God, why did she have to be so untouchable? Why wasn't she with him anymore? Guy tried to focus his thoughts on Donna, but it didn't work. He just kept thinking about the beautiful ex-girlfriend, so close and yet so incredibly far.  
  
"Guy." She suddenly said. Guy loved hearing his name from her. She said it unlike anyone else said it.   
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You know that time I said that you let down? And that I played hard?"  
  
Guy winced. She really burned him a lot more than necessary that day. "Yeah, what about it?"  
  
"You didn't let down. You were right. I'm sorry I was so bitchy about it."  
  
Guy felt his heart do a flip. "...thank you, Connie." He wanted to take his words back. His thank you came out with so much emotion, and the way her said her name...every feeling he had for her was so obvious in that one comment to her.  
  
Guy felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her. And Connie knew it. she looked at him, and sat back up. Guy watched her every movement, not really caring that she noticed.  
  
She ignored him. Guy bit his lip, and moved closer to her. She didn't move closer to him, but she didn't push herself away either. Guy grinned. He felt himself go light headed.  
  
"Connie?"  
  
She didn't say anything for a moment, and then finally mumbled a "What?"  
  
"This whole ninja thing makes you look pretty hot."  
  
Connie turned to look at him, and even though she was glaring, Guy kept grinning. He knew he shouldn't have said it. He knew he was hitting on Ken's girl, but for some reason, tonight with no one watching them on the roof, he thought he had a chance. He thought that maybe, just maybe, she would fall for him all over again. And forget about Ken.  
  
He didn't care about anything but her right now.  
  
"Shut up, Guy." She shook her head, but smiled. Guy took that smile as a hopeful sign, and grinned as he looked into the binoculars. She had smiled. Smiled like she was glad he had said it. Smiled because she was glad he still felt the same way.  
  
Guy leaned back, and put his hand on her thigh. He felt her jump a bit, and then shift her leg. "Guy." She snapped. "Stop it."  
  
"You know you like it."   
  
"I said stop it."  
  
Guy glanced at her, and then quickly pulled his hand away. "Right, sorry." What had made him do that and say that? Okay, maybe he was just jumping to conclusions all over again. He was confused now. God, Guy, don't say things like that, don't do things like that...  
  
There was an awkward silence between them. He had gone too far. He had hit on her too much. He looked like an idiot now.  
  
"Guy?" Connie suddenly said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She moved closer to him, and he blushed heavily. "This whole ninja thing makes you look...I don't know how to say it...uh..."  
  
He took the binoculars away from his face and grinned, then looked at her. "Ruggedly handsome?" He leaned his face closer to hers, and saw her smile go to a frown.  
  
"Incredibly stupid."  
  
Guy stopped smiling, and glared at her. "Very funny." He said, and looked back into the binoculars.  
  
He had deserved that.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Julie ran up to the roof quickly to get Connie and Guy to tell them about the game Varsity had challenged them to at dawn. She couldn't believe it. Scooter hadn't talked to her at all, and Julie felt incredibly shot down. He was mad...he was mad because he had always let up on her in pranks, but she didn't let up on him.  
  
She shook her head. No, it didn't matter. She tried to convince herself that. She opened the door to the roof to see Connie fast asleep, slumped on the ground, and Guy yawning heavily.  
  
"Tired?" Julie smirked, rushing up to them. Guy glanced up at her and blinked.  
  
"Just a little. I'm not even alive right now." He looked down at Connie. "And she's out like a light."  
  
"Well." Julie sighed. "We have a game against varsity in..." She checked her watch. "4 hours."  
  
Guy stared at her, looked down at Connie, and then grinned. "You wake her." Then he stood up and stalked off. Julie rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Guy's head was consisting of Connie thoughts-thus he wanted to get away from Connie as soon as possible.  
  
"Connie?" Julie poked Connie in the side. "Connie wake up." Connie blinked a few times before looking up at Julie grumpily.  
  
"I was sleeping..." Julie rolled her eyes.   
  
"Yeah I Know. But come on, we gotta go. Varsity challenged us." Connie stared at her. "Come on Cons..."  
  
As Julie helped Connie up, all Connie could think about was how forward Guy had been that night. He hadn't flirted with her for the longest time, he'd been more angry than anything. But he'd been acting like the old Guy, and that hadn't happened in awhile. It made Connie sort of miss him.  
  
But she knew that was normal. Of course she missed him, he was her first boyfriend. She missed him a lot of the time, Connie realized. And what could she do?  
  
Play hockey, and be herself. That's all. She was sick of defining herself by the guy she was with. That wasn't going to happen anymore. Which is why she loved being with Ken. He knew her.  
  
--------------------------  
  
And thus, Charlie was gone.  
  
No one had really known what to do when Orion had asked if anyone else wanted to join him. For some reason, none of them wanted to be loyal. And anyway, how loyal had Charlie been lately? Not at all. Just self-centered, and moronic. He had been acting like a dick.  
  
Why would anyone want to stick by him with the way he was acting?  
  
Either way, though, Guy felt bad. He couldn't help it. Despite the way Charlie had been acting, he had been great, and loyal...and just Charlie, for what, the past...well, ever since Guy had known him. But still, Charlie had been impossible. Snapping at them, using their weaknesses as insults. Friends didn't do that.  
  
And Guy wasn't about to drop hockey, when Charlie was just being attached to Bombay. That's all this was.  
  
But for some reason, Guy felt like crying. Why was it when everything was going so smoothly at home for his mother now, everything else was going wrong? He felt so weak and vulnerable. Without Charlie being on the team, he felt like the Ducks didn't have a head. They weren't the Ducks without everybody there. And since Portman was gone too, it just felt empty.  
  
Guy smacked his head on his desk. He was supposed to be doing math. Concentrating, working hard. But he couldn't. All he could think about was Charlie, and Portman, Connie and Donna, and the Ducks not being Ducks. How long had they not been Ducks? Longer than Guy would like to admit.  
  
Everything sucked.  
  
"Guy?" And then, like a voice from a very cliched movie angel, Guy looked up to see Donna. Stubborn, sometimes bitchy, temperamental, beautiful Donna. And she was looking at him.  
  
With eyes that he thought she wouldn't ever look at him with. "Hey." He choked out.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"You want to talk about it?"  
  
"No."  
  
"...what the hell am I supposed to do, then?"  
  
"Sit with me."  
  
She stared at him a moment, embarrassed. Obviously not knowing how to comfort him, to make things better. But she did sit next to him, and Guy felt her wrap her hand around his under the table. And suddenly, a little part of him felt better.  
  
So he was going through one of his phases again. At least Donna didn't ask about it. She held his hand and didn't yell at him for being the way he was sometimes. And that was all he needed.  
  
Never mind Connie, never mind Charlie. All he wanted right now was Donna. And yet, in the back of his mind, he heard Max's voice telling him that he didn't even have her.  
  
The bell rang, and Guy immediately stood up, taking his hand away from Donna's to shove his books in his backpack. He turned to look at her. "I'm going to go to my dorm."  
  
Then he turned on his heel and left the room. Not wanting to look at her. Not wanting to feel her hand again and know that she'd just pull it away again later when she realized what she was doing. Max's voice was right-he didn't have Donna. She distanced herself, just like Guy did, from everyone. Wasn't he distancing himself from Donna right now?  
  
"Guy, wait!"  
  
He turned to see her rushing towards him, her hemp canvas bag over her shoulder, her red hair swooshing behind her, looking like a flame on the top of her head. she didn't look good when she wore purple, and yet there she was in a purple hoodie and baggie pants.  
  
He wanted so bad to not like her for her faults. So he could push her away. But he couldn't. He liked her better.  
  
"I'm coming with." She took his hand again. :"You're freaking me out." Not the sweetest thing she could have said. But it didn't matter.  
  
"You're not coming. Go to class." Guy took his hand away from hers, and walked on, but he knew she was following him. He didn't look back...didn't want to. He wanted her to go away, and yet he wanted her close. He didn't know what he wanted.  
  
He reached his dorm, and then felt her come up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He breathed in her scent, and leaned back into her before opening the door, and going inside, taking her hand, and pulling her with him. He closed the door, and then turned to look at her.  
  
She was bewildered, but yet had a certain look of understanding that Guy found himself being reminded of Jesse, and Ken. Like she knew his secret. But she didn't.  
  
"Come on." She pulled his hand, and led him to his bed. He flopped down on it, and she laid down next to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his head in her neck, holding her tightly. Donna held him back, stroking his hair.  
  
And they didn't say anything. Nothing at all. Guy didn't know what he felt, but right now, laying in her arms, and for once feeling like someone was trying to comfort him without trying to pry, he was feeling a bit more happy than he had within the day. He felt like things were normal again...well, as normal as they had been.  
  
"Guy?" She said suddenly. His name sounded so right in her voice. He mumbled. "Guy...this is really heavy stuff for me."  
  
Guy knew what she meant. He knew she meant she didn't know how to deal with this. How to deal with the fact he had a problem. He had something serious going on, that most fourteen year old's didn't go through.  
  
"It's too heavy for me, too." Guy said. "But I can't do anything about it, can I?"  
  
She nodded slightly. "Is it...really bad?"  
  
"...yeah."  
  
"Can I do anything?"  
  
"No one can really. This is fine."  
  
"I'm sorry things are shitty."  
  
"I'm kind of used to it at some moments, and not at others."  
  
"I'm such a hypocrite."  
  
"No you're not."  
  
Guy leaned up then, and found himself on top of her, looking down at her face. She looked so vulnerable. And he found himself feeling special. He was the only one who had ever seen Donna like this. She was tough, kind of bitchy, too cynical for her own good. Yet with him...she seemed so surprised, so curious. Like she had never met anyone like him. And Guy had never met anyone like her.  
  
He bent his head and kissed her on the lips, without warning, without even looking at her eyes for permission. He didn't need it. And he was right, because she was kissing him back. They finally kissed.  
  
Then she pulled away, moving her head to the side. Guy looked down at her, and made a quizzical face. "This isn't the right time for this, you know. You're really upset. I WANT to kiss you and everything, but-"  
  
Guy groaned, ignored her, and kissed her lips, opening his mouth and letting the tip of his tongue move into her mouth. She allowed this, and they awkwardly kissed, two fourteen year olds, inexperienced, but overcome with emotion.   
  
Guy was hungry for this. Donna made him feel better. Donna was so close to being everything. Yet she put up so many fronts, even now, that it frustrated him. and Guy realized that that must have been how Connie felt with him.  
  
He put up so many fronts, and never told her why, never let her in. that was why they grew apart. Maybe even why she began to like somebody else. Someone who she thought didn't put up fronts, even though Ken put up more than Guy did.  
  
Finally, Guy was the one to pull away from Donna. She was breathing heavily, her lips puffed. She looked hot, so hot he could hardly stand it. He kissed her again, and she kissed back, lovingly. He rolled off of her, and let his head fall onto a pillow as he looked up at the ceiling. Donna came next to him, and looked at him.  
  
He had to. He needed to. He wanted her. And he needed her. And he felt suddenly very scared of her. And he wondered briefly if it was possible to fall in love with two girls.  
  
All he knew was that now, Donna was it, and he was going to focus on her. And for that, he had to let go.  
  
"My step-dad beat up my mom. And me. And my mom needs me and I'm not there, she's alone. Max is gone, thank God but...but I'm not there to help her get better after everything. " Guy blurted this all out, not knowing how else to say it, not knowing how Donna would react.  
  
Donna was silent, for a long time, before speaking. "God." She mumbled, and hugged him, tentatively. "Why don't you tell anyone?"  
  
"Mom. She loved Max. That's his name. His voice is always in my head, telling me I'm worth jack all."  
  
"You're worth everything."  
  
Guy looked at her, and he smiled. A true smile. And he was overwhelmed by the sudden emotion between them. The sudden feeling of falling in love. And suddenly, Guy felt so close to being over Connie.   
  
"I told you..." Guy said. "I told you because I want you close to me. I want you close to me so badly."  
  
Donna was crying now, and she nodded. "I don't know what to do, and I don't know what to say."  
  
"You don't have to say anything."  
  
"...I'm working on it."  
  
"You're fine."  
  
"I want you close to me too." Donna said, and smiled.   
  
"So what? Am I your guy now?" Guy said, jokingly. It didn't seem right to joke. He was still feeling so sad, but yet suddenly so full. Like he could overcome anything.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "God, labels."  
  
"They ain't so bad."  
  
"Aren't."  
  
Guy smiled, and kissed her cheek, before snuggling her closer to him. "Man...we're pretty bad at kissing, aren't we?"  
  
Donna burst out laughing. "It wasn't BAD, it was just awkward. I've never kissed anyone like THAT before."  
  
"It was pretty cool anyway." Guy laughed, and she laughed with him, hitting his shoulder.   
  
"Yeah...you're going to have to learn how to kiss to be with me."  
  
"Brat."  
  
"Dumbass."  
  
Guy studied her face, and they looked at each other. Donna was his girlfriend now, he knew that. She knew that. And he wanted everybody else to know that. He checked his watch. Almost lunch. He grinned.  
  
"You're not thinking about announcing your sudden gain of a chick to the lunchroom, are you?" Donna asked. Guy grinned at her. "Because I'm not a door prize."  
  
"I am though." Guy said, sitting up, and holding out his arm. "So you're free to flaunt me all you want."  
  
Donna smiled, and took his arm. Then they proceeded to the lunch room, bought two bags of chips, walked past the Ducks (all of them staring after him) and proceeded to eat outside. Alone.  
  
Guy's sadness, for now, was forgotten.  
  
END OF PART 25 (Woah...heavy shit. Before, this was a lot more iffy. But I edited it a lot and took out some things that I thought were overdoing it. so yeah. Hope you liked it.) 


	32. Beaten Down And Fighting

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine Part 26: Beaten Down And Fighting By Funkiechick  
  
(Yay! More! Summer is here so I have more time to write, but I still have a job offer coming up, so when I'm not working I'll try to work more on this. Enjoy the chapter!!) Charlie stared at Eden Hall, feeling his courage start to wash away in his stomach. He didn't know if he could do this. He couldn't...but ever since Bombay came, and explained to him about Orion. Why Orion was the way he was...and everything, suddenly Charlie realized what a huge asshole he had been being the past season.  
  
He hadn't been acting like a leader. He'd been acting like a brat. And he hadn't been looking out for anyone. He was scared to step onto that bus he saw the Ducks boarding on. He was scared to say sorry. He was never very good at it.  
  
He was even having a hard time with Linda. Just when she had been accepting him, he had...well, he had gone through this phase of not caring about anyone but himself. His mother had been right about his attitude change. Everyone had been right.  
  
And then he found his courage. He saw them all walking on to the bus, and he felt the aching of missing them, Adam, Linda, his mother, Bombay...and he found he was excited to say sorry.  
  
He stepped onto the bus, and found himself face to face with Orion. Who didn't look angry. Just expectant.  
  
And forgiving. And then he knew it was okay.  
  
----------  
  
Dwayne had spotted him first. And he had shouted, loudly, "Look! It's Captain Duck!" Dwayne, for some odd reason, had stayed stubbornly loyal to Charlie, no matter what anyone else was saying about him. Dwayne was like that. He was loyal at the oddest moments.  
  
When Dwayne had spotted him, Guy didn't look. He didn't know why, but he hadn't wanted to. All he could think about was Charlie ridiculing the way Guy acted once and awhile. Guy was worried now...worried everyone else thought he was a dick.  
  
Charlie took a seat next to Russ, and Guy was suddenly overcome with a sense of ...comfortable-ness. Suddenly, he felt them all become Ducks again. Now all they needed was Adam, and Portman. But they weren't here. So they weren't Ducks just yet.  
  
Guy opened his mouth to say something to Charlie, but was cut off. The Headmaster was on the bus. And he got a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. The headmaster gave a look at them, a pitiful, yet pompous one, and Guy turned worried once more.  
  
He didn't like the looks of this.  
  
---------  
  
Connie adjusted the cuffs on her sleeve, then blowing her bangs out of her face. She couldn't even begin to describe how nervous she was. They were so close to losing the scholarship, to officially being broken up. Why did this school have to be so stupid? "I'm freaked." Connie said to Russ next to her. "Seriously, what if this doesn't work?"  
  
Russ smiled at her, and affectionately put his arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze. "Don't you worry, Con-Meister. Everything will turn out fine."  
  
Connie smiled. "How can you be so optimistic all the time?"  
  
"Because no one else on the team is?" Connie laughed as Russ gave a funny grin. "But I'm the official cheerer-upper. You okay?" "I'm just nervous." Connie answered. "I'll be fine."  
  
She glanced around at everyone else as Russ gave her shoulder another squeeze before taking his arm back. She caught Ken's eye and gave him a big smile, a nervous one, and he smiled back at her in his reassuring way. Then she looked at Julie, who crossed her fingers at her and Connie copied the gesture.   
  
She then looked at Guy. He eventually caught her eye, and then he smiled. Just a little, before looking away. Connie didn't know why. He had been acting that way lately. She didn't know what it was, but he was seriously backing off. She knew that him and Donna were...well, maybe together. That's what everyone was saying, anyway. But she still found it so hard to believe that he would stop liking her completely. So maybe she was a little jealous.  
  
She looked away from Guy, and saw Charlie. He looked so much better, so much more like Charlie. She knew everyone was mad at him a little still, but she had found herself forgiving him so quickly. He looked out for everyone, most of the time. She had missed that part of him so much when it was gone. He looked at her, and winked. She smiled back at him, feeling herself going vulnerable. He was so protective of her. And for some reason, that hadn't bugged her as much as it did when Guy or the other guys were. Charlie's duty was to be protective.  
  
She mouthed out 'welcome back' to him, she hadn't had a chance to say it on the bus, and he nodded. 'Missed you.' He mouthed back at her, and Connie nodded at him, about to reply until Orion gave everyone the eye. He was indicating that now they had to shut up, look professional. Because what was about to happen was about to determine whether or not they would go on to be all together.  
  
Bombay stepped into the room, wearing a suit, and looking pretty damn good. Connie had always thought that Bombay was a cutie, and she looked over at Julie, who caught her eye, and nodded, giving an exaggerated thumbs up. Connie hid her laugh by biting her lip.  
  
Then she looked again at Charlie, seeing him looking proud, and actually on the verge of tears as Bombay began to speak. She knew how Charlie felt. They had all gone through so much. It had been such a tough season. And yet, there was Bombay. Backing them up, like he always did.  
  
She had never felt like more of a Duck in her entire life.  
  
-------  
  
Guy knew this was it. Knew that now, this game, would show everyone at Eden how much the Ducks deserved to be here. How much they worked together. And what a good team they were.   
  
He glanced up into the stands, biting his lip. And then he saw her. Donna was sitting next to Macy, and a few guys that he assumed were in her drama class. She always talked about how close she was to her drama class. She was looking around too, and finally their eyes met. He waved at her, smiling, and she did the same. She was excited to be here. For him.  
  
"That's Donna, right?"  
  
Guy stopped waving. But it was alright, Donna turned to talk to Macy. Guy turned around to see Connie looking at Donna in the stands, and then turning to look at him. "Yeah." Guy nodded. "Yeah, that's her."  
  
"She's really pretty."  
  
Guy grinned, looking back at Donna. "Isn't she?"  
  
They were silent for a moment, and when Guy turned back to face Connie, he was surprised to see a look on her face that he was quite familiar with. The look of being jealous, sad...maybe a bit heartbroken.  
  
"Listen, Guy..." She started, and Guy felt a lump in his throat. "I've been a Royal Bitch this year. I'm sorry." She smiled then, and sniffed. "We're both Ducks, we shouldn't let the past get to us. And I like the past anyway."  
  
Guy was speechless for a second. Connie was admitting a fault. Connie was saying sorry. It was something that Connie just never did. "Cons-"  
  
"God, Guy." She laughed a bit, a tear streaming down her face. "I'm such a hypocrite. I'm jealous." He was about to say something, but she cut him off. "I just want you to know that...that now that you're with somebody, I think we can really start to move on, ya know? I want to be your friend, I missed you."  
  
And with that, she gave him such a huge hug that he was almost thrown off balance. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and he knew she was tip-toeing, even on her skates. Guy hugged her back, breathing in her familiar scent, holding her in a way that seemed so new now that they were older. And he wanted to kiss her.  
  
When she pulled away, Guy knew she wanted to kiss him too. Sort of a goodbye. But she didn't. If they did that, they knew that there wouldn't be a closure at all. So she pecked his cheek, and went to sit next to Ken. And when she did sit next to the third little bash bro, she looked happy.  
  
They had gotten past this. Gotten past the hard part, the forgiving. Connie wasn't mad at him anymore, and they both freely admitted that they were jealous. Maybe they would always be jealous. He didn't know what that meant right now. But for the moment, he just wanted to focus on hockey, and Donna and the fact that for once...everything was going right.  
  
He caught Donna's eye again and she waved at him, before jumping a bit when a boy from her class elbowed her and made sappy love eyes and started to imitate the look on Donna's face. She glowered at him, and Guy laughed, before going back to his team.  
  
This was it.  
  
---------  
  
Portman stared at Eden. God, this school was so uptight looking even HE could feel the need for good grades seeping into his skin. He refused to do anything any of his teachers said. Granted, he needed a good average to stay on the team, but that didn't mean he'd make it easy for the teachers to have him in class.  
  
It had taken Bombay awhile to convince Portman that the Ducks needed him. Needed the whole team, Bombay had said. But finally, Portman knew that the missing was too much. All he could think about was the Ducks. All he could think about was playing hockey with the team he was meant to play it with until...until he decided if hockey was the choice for life or not.  
  
Portman took a puff of his cigarette. Julie was going to kill him when she found out he started smoking. He knew it was stupid to do-especially when he was an athlete. But it calmed his nerves. He cracked his knuckles before finally walking towards the entrance into the school. He stopped short, and quickly threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. He couldn't afford to be kicked out today.  
  
No one was really in the halls, and Portman knew the game had started. There were a few loose students, and he figured they were the one's that didn't give a damn about hockey. Which was lame since this was a hockey school and all. He set off towards the office to check in.  
  
Inside was two secretaries, and two punk kids, a guy and a girl, sitting in seats looking furiously at the secretary, who was a very short, small and pretty red head gabbing angrily on the phone.  
  
"Your daughter set off a FIRE ALARM, Mr. Simpson." She said into the telephone. "I don't care if she was joking around, fires are NOT a laughing matter, and neither is a fire alarm."  
  
Portman glanced at the girl he figured had set off the alarm. She was blond, skinny as hell, with a really gorgeous face that he figured she was trying to hide. The guy she was with looked just bored. He was probably there to back her up, but he was still giving ferocious looks at the secretary.  
  
Finally, the woman hung up and looked at Portman. "Hey." Portman nodded. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Can I help you?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm here to check in. Dean Portman. And hurry it up, I have a game to play."  
  
She looked through a file on her desk. "Ah yes, Mr. Bombay called. You were on Hockey Scholarship, were you not?"  
  
"That's it, toots."  
  
The secretary jumped and shot him a glare. He heard the two kids behind him snicker, and he grinned. Excellent. He always DID love attention.  
  
"My NAME is Miss. Delilah."  
  
"Miss eh?" Portman leaned on her desk. "You not married? Maybe you and me can arrange something-"  
  
"THESE are your class schedules, and information about your dorm mate." Portman took the files from her. "You will be rooming with one of your team mates. I HOPE they know how to deal with your OBNOXIOUS behavior."  
  
"I'm only that way to people I like." Portman answered, then looked at the kids behind him. "I'll see you two around?"  
  
"We're getting expelled." The girl answered. The guy nodded. Portman stared and whistled. "Yeah, I hate this fucking school."  
  
"Do NOT swear!!" Miss. Delilah snapped. "That fire alarm you pulled was only ONE of the reasons you-Mr. Portman you are excused-are no longer going to be attending this school and-Oh, Mr. Portman?"  
  
Portman turned to look at her as he walked towards the door. "What?"  
  
"You really must win that game, that blond boy- Cole- on the Varsity team has been in this office more times than I can count and I would really appreciate it if you made him look as ridiculous as possible."  
  
Portman was speechless for a second. Maybe Miss. Delilah wasn't so bad after all. "Sure thing, Little D."  
  
She nodded at him, then went back to ranting at the two kids. They nodded at him as he left, and suddenly Portman had an idea that maybe this school wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
Besides, if a secretary was cool enough to ask him to beat the Varsity, the students couldn't be so bad either.  
  
----------  
  
"They're killing us." Fulton said, breathing heavily from the box next to Ken. "I swear to God, if Portman were here..."  
  
"I know..." Ken said, sighing. "Imagine how he'd take that guy down-CONNIE, WATCH IT!"  
  
Connie took a vicious check into the boards, and for a moment didn't get up. Orion watched anxiously and finally, she hobbled herself to a standing position, and continued playing. Some people in the stands clapped.  
  
"Those jerks..." Ken said through gritted teeth. He turned to Fulton. "If Portman were here, we'd take that guy on. He's been picking on Connie the whole game."  
  
"We'd make him look like an IDIOT." Fulton nodded. Thus, Ken and Fulton went into an 'If only' mode of wishing Portman was next to them, trash talking players.  
  
Out on the ice, Guy was having a hard time. He was playing well, but the Varsity wasn't letting up. They were holding their own well enough, but at the rate things were going, they were going to be black and blue before halftime.  
  
Charlie passed him the puck, and Guy skated quickly down the ice, dodging a few checks before taking a hard one in the ribs as the puck was stolen from him. Guy coughed, stood back up, and raced after the player. He didn't know how much longer of this he could take.   
  
"Germaine, Russ, change it up!" Orion called. Guy glanced up, surprised, but proceeded to head back to the box, where Russ went out to replace him. Orion was giving him a 'look'.   
  
"What?" Guy asked.  
  
"You're not letting up, and that's good. But you're being reckless-you're going to get hurt soon if you don't clear your head and start thinking about what you're doing when you have the puck. Take a breather, I'll put you back out in a minute."  
  
Guy growled and thumped down next to Ken, who gave him a sympathetic look. "Man." Guy shook his head. "If Portman were here, that guy who checked me would be DOWN-"  
  
"I KNOW!" Ken and Fulton agreed enthusiastically. Orion shook his head. he couldn't believe how much these kids depended on that one Enforcer. If Dean didn't get here soon...  
  
Bombay had given him a call this morning, stating that Portman was coming to play for this game. But he hadn't shown yet, so Orion was assuming he couldn't make it. It WAS on very short notice after all.  
  
Hopefully, Portman would be ready to play the finals against the league. Orion hated working his players so hard against the Varsity when the two teams weren't even done their season. They were treating this like a championship game, and though he wanted badly for the Ducks to win, he did NOT want them using all of their energy against Varsity. They had a game the next day.  
  
But the game was going much as it had before. He sighed. He had to put Germaine back out, he was playing too well to stop his game now. "CHANGE IT UP!" Orion called, and patted Guy's back. "Settle down, go on."  
  
Guy nodded and headed back out onto the ice with Adam and Goldburg. Adam gave Guy a pat on the back, and Guy nodded at him, giving him a grin. It was nice to have Banksie back. Despite Charlie and Bank's obvious grudge toward the other.  
  
Connie was panting heavily as she sat down next to Ken in the box. "When are you going back out?" Connie ask her boyfriend. "He had you out there the entire first part of the half, and now he's letting you take such a huge break?"  
  
"I got checked too hard, supposedly. He wants to wait to let me out again." Ken looked at Orion and gave him a cheesy grin. "Please?"  
  
Orion grinned. "Fine, replace Averman. LES AVERMAN, KEN WU, CHANGE IT UP."  
  
Ken gave a victory punch in the air, a kiss to Connie's cheek, and then hurried out onto the ice as Averman came in, after being bashed into the boards and looking kind of out of it. "Hi Coach!"   
  
Ken hurried out onto the ice, already receiving a few checks into the boards. Orion watched with gritted teeth as the Varsity continued to beat the Ducks heads in. What was the coach doing? The Varsity was a better team without being goons, but at the looks of it, they were going full force out of fear.  
  
Out on the ice, Guy was already getting badgered. Like Charlie, he was one of the scorers, and the Varsity was there to take him out.   
  
"Guy, watch it!" Russ called out. Guy turned his head and nodded before taking a pass from Charlie behind the goalie's net. He heard Julie give a yell, and he turned to see what was going on-before getting checked by three players into the boards, and his leg turned at an odd angle, giving a cracking sound.  
  
Guy yelled out and fell to the ice when the players were off of him. His leg was burning. It wasn't too bad, he didn't think, but he still couldn't move it.  
  
Before he knew it, the paramedics were on the ice, asking him questions. And all Guy could think about was how he had to play. But they were taking him off until the after halftime-depending on how his leg was. His ribs hurt too, but he wasn't about to say that. If he had more than one injury, there was no way he could play the rest of the game.  
  
"I'm okay, I can skate..." Guy said, but his ribs hurt twice as much as his leg hurt, causing him to wince on every second word. They took him off the ice, and he heard everyone clap for him, and Charlie skated with them to the edge of the boards, patting his back.   
  
He tried to find Donna in the crowds, but she wasn't there...where had she gone?  
  
The Paramedics took him into the Sports Med quick room close to the Locker rooms, and soon his question was answered. Donna was sitting at a chair near the bandages.  
  
"Jesus, you should have seen yourself get hit. Are you okay?" Donna asked as they sat him down.  
  
"He'll be just fine. His leg may just have been bent a bit too much. If that's all it is, he'll be able to play for the last half of the game."  
  
Guy was scowling. He hated being in here. His leg still hurt, but he knew he had to play, he wanted to be in the locker room during halftime. Wanted to hear the pep talk. Donna was looking at him, sighing worriedly. Guy wouldn't say anything about his ribs.   
  
"I'm fine." Guy said. "It's like they said, it's been bent too much. I goddamn hate Varsity. I can play." He looked at the paramedics. "Can I go now?"  
  
"We have to take a look at your leg, son." One of them said. "We'll let you out when all is fit to go."  
  
Guy sighed, and made a whiny face at Donna, who laughed. God, the things that happened...  
  
---------  
  
Portman groaned...here he was, all ready for a big entrance into the locker room, and he had to wait until halftime came up to do it. He couldn't go out and play now-the stupid jerks on the board would be all like "Oh no, you can't, you big brute!"  
  
So he waited patiently (cough). He was guessing it was almost halftime. God, he was bored...  
  
He turned his head when he heard a door open to the left of the locker rooms, and out came Guy with a cute redhead by his side. The paramedics were giving Guy some sort of advice, and he was nodding politely, but looking very bored.  
  
"Germaine! What did you do??"  
  
Guy looked up, and when he saw Portman exclaimed "Holy cow!" And walked over to him, giving him a huge bear hug. "What are you doing here, you asshole?" He laughed. "I thought we'd never see you again."  
  
"My attorney suggested I take the scholarship." Portman said in a snooty voice, before going back to his regular one. "Bombay convinced me. Who's the doll?" Portman winked at Donna, who shot him a smirk.  
  
"Donna, my girlfriend. Donna, this is Portman."  
  
Portman shook her hand, trying not to seem too surprised that Guy was with someone besides Connie. "You like hockey?"  
  
"Yeah, it's a good game. Can't play it to save my life though."  
  
Portman grinned, then checked his watch. "Come on Guy, lets go into the locker room. You better get back in the stands or something." Portman said to Donna.  
  
Donna turned to Guy. "Watch it, okay? You got mangled. See you later." She gave his shoulder a squeeze before walking off back to the rink. Portman nodded at Guy, giving the thumbs up.  
  
"She's hot." Portman said. Guy rolled his eyes.   
  
"Shut up, Portman." He opened the locker room door. "So are you playing the rest of the game? I can't believe you're here, it's great to see you!"  
  
Portman grinned. "I'll tell you after the game-don't tell anyone I'm here yet. I'm gonna surprise you."  
  
Guy rolled his eyes. "See you soon." He turned to go into the locker room, before looking back at Portman. "God, thanks for coming. It wasn't the same without you."  
  
Portman didn't say anything a moment, then smiled. "Yeah. I missed you too."  
  
It was gruff sounding. Portman had toughened up a bit, didn't seem as emotional as he had before. Not that he was very emotional in the first place, but he seemed more closed in. Not in a bad way, just in a Portman way.  
  
Guy went back into the locker room, prepared for the rest of the game.  
  
END OF PART 26  
  
(Yes! Longer part today. I should have the next one up soon. I have part of it written already, so no worries. And I watched the third movie again before I finished this, so I'm in a duck mood. I would write more, but I can't right now, I have a job interview to go to. Wish me luck! Hope you liked the chapter.) 


	33. Here Comes The Sun

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine Part 27: Here Comes The Sun By Funkiechick  
  
(AUTHORS NOTE: Wow, a new part already. I'm on a roll, aren't I? =) Anyhoo, I've been getting some lovely e-mails from so many people encouraging me and telling me good luck with my job and I want to thank you guys for being so supportive in a time where I'm still very much busy, and very much in need of a break. If I could only have this break, I could write all the Breaking Hazel I want, because writing this fanfic is so much fun for me. Though the fic is actually pretty far from being over, the D3 portion of my fic will be done in this chapter, so I just want to thank the following people for being so wonderful. If I don't mention some names, it doesn't mean you weren't equally as fantastic. You all rock.  
  
OreoLine00: Thank you for your constant support and wonderful reviews and comments. You kick major ass.  
  
Charisma: For being such a ray of sunshine in your supportive e-mails and compliments. You are a complete doll.  
  
aznJEDI13: Your fics have always been such a joy to read. Seriously, you are a fabulous writer and I am so flattered to hear praise from you.  
  
Eriks-lil-rocker: You have always been a consistent, loyal, and wonderful fan. I always ALWAYS listen closely to your comments because I found that I have written things much better after hearing your feedback. You rock.  
  
And finally, this chapter is dedicated to Cake-Eater. Always wonderful, always reviewing, and always staying by my side and loyal to this fanfic. I will never forget how much the praise you give me has made me smile. Thanks so much.  
  
And you all mean so much to me. After this chapter, this fic is going to be completely me, no movie to base situations off of. And I am very very excited. I have lots of ideas and events I am very nervous and happy about writing about. So here we go...love ya all!  
  
One more thing...I noticed a large mistake I made. I previously said Donna's last name was Schwartz, and then changed it to Parks without meaning to.  
  
From here on out, her last name is Schwartz. Thanks. )  
  
---------------  
  
Guy's ribs ached.   
  
His leg was going to be fine, it had a bit of a sting, but he wasn't even giving it a second thought. It was only sore, nothing at all.  
  
But his ribs hurt. They hurt too much... and every time he breathed, he winced. They had to be cracked. He was thinking two of them at least. This wasn't good. He was going to play, no matter what. He just had to suck it up and hope that if they won, the group hugs wouldn't kill him.  
  
He felt a hand clap his back and he coughed. God, it hurt..."Germaine, ready to go?"  
  
Guy looked at Banks. Adam was glowing. He was so happy to be back. It was funny-everyone was so overjoyed that Portman was here, and Banks hadn't even had half of the welcome that Dean had had. But Adam didn't care. All he wanted was to play hockey with the Ducks again, no matter how they felt about him. He was happier than Guy had ever seen him. Never before had Guy been with someone who loved hockey so much...  
  
Adam's smile suddenly faded. "Guy, are you okay?"  
  
Guy's memory flashed back to when Adam was taping up his wrist, telling everyone that he was fine. They had made him quit for awhile, told him not to play until it was better. But Guy wasn't missing this game for the world, no matter how bad his ribs hurt.  
  
"I'm fine." Guy shrugged. "That check took the wind out of me, you know. I can play."  
  
Adam didn't believe him, and Guy hated how a guy could seem so one-dimensional at times, and then reveal that he is actually quite the opposite. Adam probably knew everyone on this team better than they knew themselves. That scared Guy, that someone knew him so well. Someone who he didn't tell anything.  
  
Adam was looking at him with such an intense gaze, that Guy suddenly felt very naked. It was the way Adam looked at Charlie, not him. Adam was only close to Charlie in the long run. Charlie and Jesse. And Jesse had never told Guy anything about Adam.   
  
"What?" Guy snapped, sounding scared.  
  
"You're going to make the injury worse. Broken ribs are serious." Adam shrugged, then his gaze traveled over to Charlie, who was slapping Julie on the back, telling her what a fantastic game she was playing, and then laughing at a joke Portman had yelled over the locker room.  
  
Guy watched Adam, watched the way Adam looked at Charlie. And suddenly, Guy felt himself understanding Adam a lot more than he thought he would.  
  
"Adam, you got a girl in the stands?" Guy asked. He'd heard Charlie ask him that during the Goodwill Games, hadn't given it a second thought when Adam seemed disinterested.   
  
Adam looked at him sharply, and then understanding passed between them. Adam shook his head, and Guy bit his lip, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"  
  
The answer had come out fairly quickly and Guy was surprised. "What?" He blabbered out. "I uh...I didn't...I hadn't-"  
  
"Drop it, then." Adam said. "We have a game to play."  
  
And then Adam walked by him, wringing his hands together, looking nervous. Looking unlike Adam. Guy didn't know what to say...the only words that would come out were "Adam, do you need to talk about something?"  
  
Guy hated those kinds of words. When Guy needed to talk about something the last thing he wanted to hear was someone say that...someone who didn't know what he was going through. He knew they meant well, he knew they only said it to help... but it just made him feel like some sort of unhappy freak.  
  
Perhaps that was why Guy had so much trouble letting people in. He was positive they'd give up on him, leave him behind. Suddenly, he saw a bit of himself in Adam. He saw held back feelings and hurt all pent up in someone too young and almost too small to really know what to do with being forced to grow up so quickly.  
  
Adam turned to look at him. "Yeah." He nodded, his voice sounding monotone, low. "Yeah, maybe tomorrow or something."  
  
Guy shrugged. "Tomorrow. Sure. It's Saturday so...so I can pick you up from your dorm and we can grab a bite to eat or something, you know?"  
  
Adam nodded, and then the next thing they knew, they were being hurried out onto the ice. The second half of the game was starting. Guy saw Adam let go of his problems at once, and his face turned serious. When Portman gave Banks a swift pat on the back, Adam nodded gruffly in return as they skated out on the ice.  
  
The crowd went wild for Portman.   
  
Guy couldn't help but think about how funny it was. Here, he'd seen Julie scoff at how much they were all depending on Portman to be there, how in the end no matter how many of them were missing, it hurt the most when Portman wasn't there.  
  
But it was all true.  
  
Charlie had returned back to normal, the feeling had still been there. Adam had come back, they still hadn't felt whole. And all Portman has to do is cockily strut into the locker room with a fancy Portman-like speech and smile. And suddenly everything was Duck again.  
  
Guy smiled. He liked that. It was weird, having a constant for once. Who would have imagined finding a constant in a friend like Portman? He was the type of guy who would find the oddest ways to be there for you, to look out for you in any way possible. But Guy loved it.  
  
He took in another sharp breath, and tried to ignore the pain in his ribs. Thanked God that Adam hadn't blabbed to Orion, and readied to be sent out on what was quite possibly the first true Duck game all season.  
  
He looked to his right, and there was Connie, her brow furrowed in confusion, looking at his chest. "You feeling okay? You keep clutching at yourself."  
  
Guy shrugged. "I had the wind knocked out of me. I feel a bit dizzy."  
  
He turned his head away from her before she could say anything else. He looked in the stands, saw Donna and waved, and then did a double take when he saw something else...someone else. Someone he never thought he'd see.  
  
Jake.  
  
-----------------  
  
"Oh my dear lord." Charlie groaned as he and Averman watched Portman in the penalty box. "He's STRIPPING."  
  
Averman nodded, giving Charlie a look. "Well, he did mention something about making up for lost time." Averman patted Charlie's back. "Just think, Caption Duck. You get to tell the lovely Linda up in the stands that you KNOW him." The red headed Duck put a hand to his heart. "She'll probably want his autograph."  
  
"Would you keep your mind on hockey, you idiot!" Charlie snapped, swinging at Averman. Averman merely dodged the blow, and laughed as he skated off. Charlie shook his head and looked at Adam. "He's such a clown sometimes."  
  
Adam seemed distracted by Portman's display and didn't hear a word Charlie said. He blinked and looked at Charlie. "What was that?"  
  
Charlie shrugged. "Forget it." Charlie turned back to look at the other Ducks sitting with Orion. "Is Guy okay? He looks like he's about to puke."  
  
Adam looked over at Guy, and then shook his head at Charlie. "Don't worry about him, he'll pull through. Let's just worry about this game, okay? We don't want to get distracted."  
  
Charlie laughed. "I think Portman's done enough of that already." Then he sighed and shook his head, adjusting his helmet. "You're right. Let's get back in the game." He patted Adam's shoulder, and then rested it there as he was about to skate off. "I'm glad you're back, Banks."  
  
Adam looked at him with a deep gaze, that Charlie returned with a maturity he didn't know he had. But, uncomfortable, he looked away and skated off. Adam shook his head. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so forward, so open. For some reason, he felt like he knew what he should do, even though he wasn't positive about what exactly he was doing something about.  
  
All he knew now was that he had to play hockey to feel better.  
  
------------------  
  
Jake had seen Guy look at him. Jake had seen the smile crawl slightly across Guy's face. He didn't tell Guy that he would be here, Guy was sure that Jake was too busy back home, working, doing his thing.   
  
Before now, Jake hadn't really wanted to connect himself with anything. He was too scared, too afraid that Guy would hate him as much as Laurine tried to make him. Everything had gone wrong with Laurine, and Jake hadn't been sure what his son would be like, how much his son would hate him.   
  
For awhile, when Guy went to Eden, Jake had been terrified to realize he'd been trying to go on pretending he hadn't met Guy, that Guy had just been a kid he knew, a nice kid he cared about, like Dean Portman. But that wasn't it. Jake suddenly felt the urge to be Dad, now. And he was damned if he was going to miss games anymore.  
  
He'd moved, he'd looked into it. And now Jake had finally decided upon opening up a recreational center in town...not too far from Eden. It'd taken so long, he'd been so busy, not calling anyone, not even Guy. He was sure Guy would be angry. But it seemed that he wasn't, he had smiled at Jake after all.  
  
All Jake knew was that he would deal with it after the game. He would talk to Guy when Guy wanted to talk. Jake knew that no one in the family asked what Guy wanted. Laurine begged for things her way, since Max...Max beat around to make sure things stayed his. Jake had kept his distance, because that was the way he liked it.  
  
Guy wasn't being raised. He was being dragged. And Jake wasn't going to let that happen anymore. He was going to be a father. He'd never felt better or more sure about anything in his life. And watching Guy now, he couldn't remember a time where he'd loved anyone more.  
  
Then he saw Portman strip in the box, and the sentimentality of the moment was quite gone. "DEAN!" Jake shouted out, and Portman looked up at him, grinned, and waved. "Dean, you're going to make everybody sick, you little dumbass!"  
  
Portman shrugged, and started to do the hula.  
  
The last thing Jake had ever wanted to see was Dean Portman do the hula.  
  
-----------------  
  
Connie gasped as she gulped down all of her water from the water bottle Ken was holding out to her. She panted, and then turned to go back out onto the ice. This was the hardest she had ever played in her entire life. Even more than the Goodwill Games.  
  
At the Games, Connie knew that The Ducks were number one, knew that they could defeat Iceland. She knew that in the end, The Ducks had been a better team. But with Varsity, it was different.  
  
Connie knew that Varsity was the better team this time. A much better team, with more experience. And they were big. Here was 5'4 Connie, up against huge, 6'0 monsters. Connie was close to getting crushed. She could tell by the way Orion had been looking at her lately that he was worried. She was small, and already she knew that he would be talking to her.  
  
Damnit. Julie got off lucky because she was a goalie. Connie was a left wing. She was bound to get hurt. Hell, Guy still looked like he was in major pain, and he was about three inches bigger than her, and stronger too. Connie hated to admit it, but she was a small person, and if she wasn't careful, she could be mangled.  
  
Ken had less of a chance of getting hurt than she did. Why did boys have to grow so tall?  
  
Connie felt the wind get slightly knocked out of her as she was checked into the boards. She caught Ken's eye from across the ice, and saw his fierce determination look set in. Connie fell to the ice, almost wishing she didn't have to get back up. She did-ignoring Dwayne holding out his hand, and hid her relief when Orion yelled "CHANGE IT UP!!"  
  
She skated slowly over to the end of the ice, and smiled at Ken, who came out onto the ice so eagerly she had to laugh. Until she heard the ref blow his whistle as she sat down.  
  
"Too many men!" The Ref yelled, and he took Ken to the penalty box. Tired and angry, Connie swore loudly, but Russ covered her mouth with his hand. Connie fell limp against Luis, who was also panting quite heavily. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.  
  
"Damn it." She heard Orion growl. "I knew they'd pull something cheap like that."  
  
Connie looked up at Orion, panting. "Coach...do you have any water? I'm all out."  
  
She wished she hadn't brought attention to herself. Why hadn't she asked Luis or Russ? Now Orion was looking even more concerned at her. God, more than anything she hoped they wouldn't consider kicking her off the team. She didn't really think that would happen, but she'd heard threats at Bombay in the past. A female goalie was one thing, but a girl, 5'4, small frame, playing out on the ice with huge guys like Cole? That was different.  
  
"Here you go, Connie." He handed her his own water bottle, and Connie downed all of it, still panting. She felt her eyes close, but she fought to keep them open. She couldn't fall asleep now. The game was too important. She had to show she could keep up. She couldn't let anyone know she was hurting.  
  
She wasn't physically worn out as much as stressed. She'd heard the headmaster say it. Heard him mutter it under his breath when Bombay won their case.  
  
'They still have a little girl out on that ice. I know there's something we can do about THAT.'  
  
She was fine. She could hold her own, she was a damned good player, and she knew it. Better than Cole. But Buckley didn't care. Julie was the star of this game, she stayed. But Connie hadn't scored one goal. Well, no one had, but Connie really needed it. Connie hadn't even done a great job tonight. In fact...  
  
"Stop worrying, Moreau." Orion snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to look at him. "You're not going anywhere. You're a Duck, you'll stay a Duck, now keep your head in the game."  
  
She suddenly smiled. A smile that spread across her whole face. She remembered. This team wouldn't let her go. Not without a fight. And she would be with them, fighting, because that's what Connie did. She never hung behind, even if she was tired. She kept up.  
  
This was the only time she had felt so exhausted at a game in a long time. And as she looked around, she saw her fellow team mates also looking like they were about to die. Some even looked more tired than her.  
  
The worry flickered away. For now.  
  
----------------  
  
Guy followed Charlie down the ice, Russ at his side. They had no idea what Charlie was doing. He was travelling down the ice too directly, too center...he was going to be checked, they were going to lose their only chance at a goal. Guy sighed. 'Overtime, here we come...'  
  
Suddenly, his eyes widened as Charlie sent the puck back to Goldburg.  
  
Greg Goldburg. Former goalie, new defenseman. Thought that marshmallow eating contests were an Olympic Event. What the HELL kind of idea was that?? Guy and Russ stopped short to look at each other, and then back at Goldburg, who was looking more terrified than Bambi did when his mother was shot.  
  
The likeness was uncanny, really.  
  
"SHOOT!" Russ shouted, slapping his stick to the ice. "Shoot, you big dork!!"  
  
Suddenly, everyone was shouting for Goldburg to shoot, but Guy said nothing. He couldn't talk, he knew it, he was at a loss for words. He wanted to laugh, to smile...  
  
Goldburg did shoot. And Guy wasn't surprised...  
  
As the puck glided beautifully into the net. The sounds that followed, the roars, the cheers, were beautiful. Guy smacked Charlie's back, giving him a huge grin. A Guy grin.  
  
Charlie really WAS caption now.  
  
-----------------  
  
Julie avoided hugs for a moment as she skated out of her net. Everyone was bombarding Goldburg at the moment. She knew this was the best game she had ever played. She had saved every single shot at her net except for that one that Adam had gone Superman on.  
  
She had to smile, take a breath. It was nice to know that you were the star of the game. Well, one of them. She was so proud of Goldburg she could barely speak.  
  
She took another breath, and prepared to become the bottom of a dog pile as she skated towards her team mates. But she was stopped short when she found Scooter grabbing her shoulder, causing her to look up. He was smiling at her, looking happy for her...and he kissed her swiftly, and sweetly on the cheek.  
  
He grinned again, and she felt a blush creep across her face. "Great game, Gaffney."  
  
What could she say? She wanted to thank him for always being a doll, even though they were supposed to be enemies. She wanted to kiss him so badly, tell him he was absolutely perfect...but the only words that came out were nothing like what she was thinking. "Thanks Scooter." She smiled.   
  
She skated off, without looking back. She wanted to, but as she looked at her team, and saw them all see her...and then jump on top of her as the audience gave her a round of applause, she knew that right now, she just didn't want to act on her crush on Scooter. Right now, they had won.  
  
Right now, all that mattered was the fact the Ducks had all dog piled on top of her, like she knew they would, and how despite the fact she could barely breath, she was quite positive that this was happiest moment of her whole damned life.  
  
And the time her dad got her that Molly Ringwald video set for her birthday last year...that was pretty great too.  
  
"Julie, you damned awesome goalie!" Guy shouted at her, and then proceeded to jump her after Charlie and Adam did. They all looked up into the stands and Julie felt herself being hoisted up by the team.  
  
God, she couldn't stop smiling.  
  
----------------  
  
"This is the most perfect hill, and the most perfect grass, in the entire universe..." Fulton said in a lazy heap on the ground.  
  
The game was done. They'd won. And now all the Ducks were laying around lazily on the field behind Eden Hall, with chips, muffins, donuts and pop at their leisure to celebrate.  
  
"Better watch those snacks, Cat Lady." Goldburg said from his spot on the grass. "Wouldn't want you gaining any weight now, would we?"  
  
"Would you shut up!?" Julie snapped as she bit into a donut. "I'm perfect. Now shut your face."  
  
Everyone laughed after that, and a silence followed as they all ate away, letting the relaxation take them over.  
  
Guy watched everyone, he couldn't help it. He'd told Donna he'd catch up with her later. Told her that the Ducks had celebrating to do, and it had to be their own Duck thing. Donna had understood. But she'd still been stubborn and wouldn't let him kiss her, leaving with a smirk on her face, knowing she'd won.   
  
He didn't find Jake anywhere afterward. But he was sure that his father would catch up with him. He always did. Guy looked at Julie, who was trying to ignore the looks that Portman was giving her. Not even really romantic ones like he used to. Just...well, looks that Guy and the others didn't know anything about.  
  
No one had really ever understood Julie and Portman.  
  
Averman hadn't cracked a joke the whole time they'd been there. He wasn't really talking to anyone. Not unfriendly, just solitary. He seemed to want to be alone. Luis was grinning like an idiot up at the sky, and Guy guessed it had a lot to do with the foxy blond cheerleader he'd been kissing after the game. Goldburg kept chucking M&M's at Julie, who was glaring him down from her spot next to Russ, and Dwayne was singing songs under his breath, smiling away into the night.  
  
Guy tried not to notice Ken and Connie, but he couldn't help it. They weren't touchy-feely very often, and Guy was pretty sure it was because Ken wasn't exactly an extroverted public affection type of guy. But there he was, his arm around Connie, holding her body very close to his own.  
  
Guy sighed. They'd put it behind them, but it was still kind of weird...he looked over at Portman and Fulton, who were lighting cigarettes.  
  
...uh oh.  
  
"WHAT are you doing?" Julie snapped into the silence. Portman and Fulton looked at her. Fulton shrugged, and took a puff of his cigarette, knowing that Julie was speaking to Portman and not him in the long run.  
  
"Smoking." Portman replied. "You got a problem?"  
  
Julie didn't say anything. She shrugged. "Scooter doesn't smoke." She turned to look back up at the sky. "That's all."  
  
A chorus of 'oooooohs' and 'buuurrrrnns' followed this comment, but Portman suprisingly stayed silent.   
  
Guy figured that Portman knew he deserved that. He'd bailed on Julie. Julie valued friendship above all else it seems. And Portman had bailed without telling her, and without contacting her in any way. Portman had been prepared for this.   
  
Guy thought it was pretty damned big of him not to say anything. He let his gaze travel over to Adam, who he was still curious about from their conversation during halftime. Adam was looking at Charlie. Looking in a way that Guy had never noticed before.  
  
He turned away from his team and looked up at the sky, as he took a donut from the box and bit into it. Out of all the hockey teams in the world, this one had to be the biggest soap opera out of all of them. He chuckled at that, and didn't say anything else.  
  
----------------  
  
'She smells so good...' Ken thought as he held Connie. He didn't do this enough. Never got the chance. Holding her was one of the best feelings he had ever experienced, he swore to god. He was so shy. Sometimes he wished he was outgoing so he could flirt and kiss her in public all the time, without feeling like the world was watching.  
  
Or rather, not caring that the world was watching.  
  
"You're so warm." Ken mumbled to her. She looked at him, and smiled. Smiled brightly. Ken smiled back. "I know that sounds corny, but..."  
  
"No..." Connie shook her head. "It's...it's great."  
  
They looked at each other a moment, and then Ken leaned forward and kissed her. A long kiss. So he could taste her, feel her.   
  
He pulled back after awhile, and saw she was smiling again. "You are so awesome..." She breathed. She looked up at him, and then up at the sky. "Tomorrow. We're going into town." She looked at him, and laughed. An almost girlish laugh. "You know, day out on the town or whatever?"  
  
Ken grinned and kissed her forehead. "You are so weird." He replied, and she hit his arm. "Yeah, It's a date."  
  
They were silent again. The Ducks were around, they weren't about to go romantic. And it was a group moment, as silent as everyone was being. Ken loved how she understood that as well, knew that this just wasn't the time to be telling the other how much they liked each other.  
  
Ken looked at Guy, suddenly overcome with a protective feeling of him. Worried how Guy was doing. Ken had been worrying about Guy a lot lately. Guy had mentioned something about his dad being in the stands, watching the game, and Ken knew that Guy was growing, but still trying so hard to cling to something to keep him from doing it.  
  
Ken didn't know how he knew this, but he did.   
  
Guy wasn't looking at them. He was sitting with Averman. They were joking around and eating chips.  
  
Ken was grateful to Guy. And Connie. They had put the arguments behind them.   
  
"Guy, you kick ass." Ken suddenly said, loudly, breaking into the silence. Guy looked back at him, and grinned. No one else knew what the hell they were talking about in their silent exchange, but Ken and Guy did, and that's all that mattered.  
  
Ken went back to holding Connie. He really couldn't wait until tomorrow...  
  
---------------  
  
Guy yawned as he walked back to his dorm. Man, they had stayed out until 1:30am. That wasn't too late in reality, but considering how hard they had played that day, it seemed like an eternity of no sleep. Guy yawned once more as he walked closer to Eden, to enter through the main doors.   
  
Then he stopped.  
  
Jake was standing on the sidewalk, next to his car. Smiling at him. Guy didn't say a word, only stared.  
  
"I thought you and your team would want to spend the night together. Was going to catch you tomorrow." Jake scuffed his shoe on the sidewalk. "But...I couldn't wait. I had to tell you...you were amazing out there, Guy."  
  
Guy felt a smile crawl up on his face. "Dad..." Guy croaked out, and he ran at him. Ran at him and hugged him so hard he felt like he was a child again. Jake hugged him back, and Guy breathed in his scent. A woodsy kind of smell. "Dad...you came..." Guy ignored the pain in his ribs. In fact, he didn't feel it, even after the forceful hug.   
  
He didn't feel any pain at all.  
  
He didn't know how much he'd needed him. And now that he was here, for the first time in Guy's life, he felt like he had real family.  
  
Everything was wonderful now.  
  
END OF PART 27  
  
(Long part. Wasn't it sweet and corny? =D I'm looking forward to delving into some Ken/Connie romance, I'm sorry to say for those people that don't like it. But I am so glad I finally got Jake back in. I was waiting for this part for so long, how I love Jake so very much...hope you all liked it.) 


	34. They're Gonna Put Me In The Movies

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine Part 28: They're Gonna Put Me In The Movies By Funkiechick  
  
(Authors note PLEASE READ: LOL!! I laughed so hard at the amount of comments I got about Adam. I knew I would get that reaction. I couldn't help it, something about Adam liking Charlie strikes me as adorable. I know I am going down a familiar path, but you know, I have read so many good slash fics about Adam and Charlie and here I am giving it a try. So yes, that's topic number 1) Adam is indeed homosexual. I really wanted to cover this topic with one of the Ducks and I think Adam is the perfect one.  
  
2) I wanted to know if someone could do a big favor for me. Since I am nearing thirty chapters, I've decided on opening a website specifically for my fanfiction, and a special part of it is going to be totally devoted Breaking Hazel. Here's the thing-I want to know if anyone is interested in making banners, pictures and various things for my site. I can take care of updating and the layout and all the writing. But all I need is someone to make pictures and banners for me. I made a title picture for Breaking Hazel JUST IN CASE I CANNOT FIND SOMEONE TO HELP ME. But I would really appreciate it if someone would lend me a hand.   
  
If you are interested in helping me out, e-mail me at: emcee_twoladies@hotmail.com  
  
We'll talk about the details then. I would really love it if someone could do this for me. Thanks!  
  
Also, would someone tell me if they know what the weather was like after the Ducks beat Varsity? What exactly is the month? :S  
  
Topic 3) I am nearing a serious plot part for Averman in this fic. I just wanted to let everyone know that. This plot line also involves a romantic interest for Averman. Don't worry, I will do everything in my power to keep her from being a Mary Sue. I may not give him a romantic interest at all. Who knows.  
  
4) Portman and Julie-be prepared for seriousness between these two. The more I watch the movies, the more I love 'em. And this is where you guys come in. Any ideas on how we can torment the pair of them before I set them up? I have a few in my head and I'd like to hear some suggestions, maybe incorporate some of them in the fic. If I don't use any ideas, it's not because they aren't good, it is only because I have them pretty thought out anyhow. But I'd love some feed back.  
  
5) As I said before, from here on out is pure fiction by me. No more movies to follow while writing. I miss the movies dearly, but I am also excited to follow my own plot lines. Remember, Guy is the main character, and Guy is a huge part of everything here on out. Be prepared for surprises.  
  
6) Eriks-lil-rocker: I never noticed I was spelling Goldberg wrong, lol! I just let my spellcheck go to work and they made it GoldbUrg so I went with it. It'll be right from now on, thanks!  
  
ALSO ONE LAST THING: It IS Donna Parks, not Schwartz. I don't know why I'm so scatterbrained lately.   
  
Also, for the musical numbers kids use, I have no idea of the exact dates things came out and whether or not I'm correct to the time the movies were set in. I wont use new musicals like RENT and Hairspray because obviously those weren't out yet. Otherwise, bare with me.  
  
I love you all! Sorry for the long and boring note from me. Enjoy!)  
  
-----------------------  
  
Guy and Adam stared at each other. Here they were, two friends sitting in the local pizza place, not too far from Eden Hall, and Guy had no idea what to say.  
  
He realized that he had offered to listen to what was on Adam's chest. But Guy was scared he wouldn't know how to help. Did Adam even need any help? Guy was totally clueless due to the circumstances...  
  
Adam was grinning. "You look so scared."  
  
Guy grinned back. "Well, not so much scared as confused. I mean, if you need advice, I'm not the person to get it from. I have no idea-"  
  
"I don't need advice." Adam assured him firmly. "You asked me if I wanted to talk, and I decided yes. I need someone to talk to, and no one else has offered." Adam crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm pretty sure it's because everyone is still mad at me for the way I acted while I was on Varsity."  
  
Guy rolled his eyes. "We all acted like idiots this season. Well, the season isn't over, but I just have to say that you missed a really asshole Charlie." Guy laughed, and then caught himself when Adam raised an eyebrow. "Sorry..."  
  
Silence passed between the two, and Guy looked up at Adam expectantly. Then he quickly averted his eyes to his slice of pizza on the plate he had put mindlessly on the table. He grabbed the plate, and took a huge bite of pepperoni. Pizza could solve anything, no matter what.  
  
"I guess I can say something now." Adam sighed, ignoring his own slice of pizza. "I never said it outloud, but I'm pretty sure by now, I think." Adam took a deep breath, unfolded his arms, and rubbed his hands together. He didn't say anything, and crossed his arms once more. He was nervous, Guy could tell. Nervous that he was putting a confirmation on...well, on what he was about to tell Guy.  
  
"Go ahead, say it." Guy said, mouth full of pizza. "You'll feel better."  
  
"I'm...gay." Adam nodded his head. His face was flushed, but his hands and arms had gone white. "I'm gay."  
  
Guy nodded, and finished off his pizza in a swift, huge chomp. He swallowed, and rubbed his hands on his napkin. "I kinda guessed after the game yesterday..." Adam stared him down. "You...well, you look at Charlie the way-"  
  
"The way that you look at Connie. Sorry, Donna." Adam corrected himself before Guy could do it for him. "I don't really know when it happened. And it's not like I have much of a chance anyway, he's dating that brunette in my History class."  
  
"Linda." Guy said. "Well, if it's any consolation, Charlie always said he liked blondes better." He offered a cheesy grin, and Adam had to laugh.  
  
"Guy, Charlie is strait. So strait I can hardly stand it. And even if he wasn't, I don't know enough about who I am now to date anyone. It's hard, you know. And you can't tell anybody." He said this quickly, as if it just occurred to him. "I play hockey, if any other school finds out, they'll track me down and kill me."  
  
Guy bit his lip. "Well, Jesus. You want to stay true to yourself and everything, don't you? I wont tell anybody, but don't you think you should let some of your best friends know? I mean, I'm your friend, definitely. But what about Jesse? Julie? Averman?...Charlie I can understand."  
  
Adam shook his head, and didn't say anything for a moment, searching for words. "If they ask, I'll tell them. But right now, no one but you has asked if I needed to talk about anything. I did. I needed to talk about this, so I told you."  
  
"Okay." Guy replied. "Well...I'm surprised, but not really. You have this knack for colors."  
  
Adam burst out laughing. "Nice stereotype there, Guy."  
  
"You do!" Guy insisted. "It's not a stereotype, you actually know what looks good on you. Look at me, I just kind of...buy anything under four dollars."  
  
Adam sighed. "I'm not comfortable enough to make any gay jokes, you know. When I am, you'll be the first to hear it though."  
  
Guy grinned. "I'm honored, really."  
  
But Guy didn't know much else to say. What COULD he say? He had never known that Adam was gay, and now that he did, he was still so surprised. Adam didn't seem to need any consolation, any advice. He just wanted to talk.  
  
Guy was jealous. He could never talk. "Why do you like Charlie, anyway? I mean, he was harder on you then any of us this year."  
  
Adam ran his hands through his hair, finally looked down at his pizza, but ignored it. "I don't know. You can't stop yourself from liking someone, can you?"  
  
Adam looked dead on at Guy there, and Guy blew him off. He wasn't going to take any hints. A few of the Ducks had been sending them lately. Telling him that Donna wasn't right for him, that he still wanted Connie.  
  
And he wanted to smack them over the head and say 'HELLO? Connie's with someone else.'  
  
And he wanted to be with Donna.  
  
Guy checked his watch, and swore. "I'd better run. I wanna try and catch Donna." Guy reached into his wallet. "I'll pay-"  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'm meeting Charlie here anyway, I'll make him pay for you."  
  
Guy laughed as he stood up. "Acting like it's a relationship already."  
  
With that, Guy left the store, and walked off, glancing over his shoulder at Adam. He looked so secure, and accepting. Why couldn't Guy be like that? Why couldn't he learn to accept what had happened to him and keep going on without remembering all the time?  
  
Right now, he was doing great though. Right now, he had Donna and Jake and they'd won against the Varsity. So did he really have to worry about it?  
  
No.  
  
"GUY!!"  
  
Guy looked up, realizing he'd been staring at his shoes. Donna was across the street, waving at him. He waved back, and hurried across without waiting for the light to change.   
  
Honks followed and a very old little lady swore at him. Guy did a double take as he finally reached the other end of the road, and took Donna's hand in his.  
  
"I had no idea old ladies could be so vindictive." Guy said, flashing her a grin. "How you doin'?"  
  
She bit her lip, seeming cutely shy. A way she never was, no matter what had happened between them. "Nothing I just...wanted to see you, and stuff." She mumbled.  
  
Guy wanted to laugh. And here Donna had always said romance was stupid. That she didn't care about relationships. Guy didn't have to be a genius to know that Donna was getting it pretty bad for him.  
  
"You want to go catch a movie?" Guy asked. 'Catch a movie? Yeah, Guy, that sounds pretty cool. NOT.'  
  
Donna smiled at him. "Yeah. Just not some lame ass one, you're probably into stupid movies like..." Donna scrunched her face, thinking. "Hhmm...The Breakfast Club-"  
  
"That movie is NOT stupid." Guy snapped. "And you know it. What kind of a weirdo are you?"  
  
Donna shoved his shoulder, glaring at him, trying not to smile. "I am a HUGE weirdo, honestly. What else can someone be?"  
  
Guy stared at her a moment, and then smiled. He leaned in and kissed her, taking her hands in his. She seemed surprised, and kiss him back for a few moments before he pulled away. "God, you are such a dork."  
  
"Romantic." She shot back at him sarcastically.  
  
"I try." He took her hand and he pulled her down the sidewalk, towards the bus stop. "Come on, we'll grab a bus and go see a movie or something. My treat."  
  
"Good, 'cause I'm broke." Donna replied, and laughed. Guy looked back at her, watched her hair which was so red that from far away, it almost looked like her head was on fire.  
  
"Donna, you..." Guy started, but stopped himself. She looked at him quizzically, but didn't bother him. Guy didn't want to say anything that might risk screwing something up.  
  
'You aren't like Connie, are you?' That was what he was thinking. But he couldn't say that. Couldn't say that Connie was so heavily on his mind still, sharing a spot for his affections with Donna. That wasn't so bad--as long as he didn't act on it.  
  
But he hated it when little things Donna did reminded him of Connie, BECAUSE Donna wasn't like Connie at all, really. Maybe her temper, but that was about it.  
  
"What are you thinking?" Donna asked. Guy didn't say anything. "Don't hurt yourself."  
  
Guy laughed, and shook his head. "Yeah, nothing. Let's go. We have the same audition times for tonight, right?"   
  
Donna nodded. "I signed us up this morning."  
  
Musical Theatre Auditions were being held all week, and tonight was the last day. Guy was a little nervous-since hockey had been so heavy lately, he hadn't practiced as much as he wanted to. "Is your brother in Musical Theatre?"  
  
Donna nodded. "Yeah, he has his heart set on playing Pharaoh, but I think Tucker is probably going to get it. Reese will probably get Joseph."  
  
Guy snorted. "Poor guy, the lead. That REALLY sucks. Not. So we're doing-"  
  
"Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."  
  
Guy grinned. Oh well, so he'd be the only Duck trying out. At least he'd have alone backstage time with Donna...  
  
------------------  
  
Portman sneaked a look over his shoulder, then glanced the other way. Good, no one coming...if Fulton or anyone saw this, it would be the end of him. Granted, he knew everyone would find out sooner or later, but by then he would have a confidant come back. At this moment, he didn't have anything.  
  
He nervously took the pen provided hanging from a string which was connected to the sign up sheet on the billboard. He slowly wrote his name:  
  
MUSICAL THEATRE- SIGN-UP AUDITION SHEET:  
  
Macy Luis-Smith Donavon Michal Lucy Duvart Kenny Wu Donna Parks Guy Germaine Reese Parks Annikan Supha-Negal Joseph Nigels Tucker Trist Courtney Fancy James Plot Pike Kurke Rich Mitchallmakis River Ivy Twimble Wilson  
  
That was everyone for tonight's audition. Portman gulped, and slowly wrote down his own name under Twimbles.   
  
MUSICAL THEATRE- SIGN-UP AUDITION SHEET:  
  
Macy Luis-Smith Donavon Michal Lucy Duvart Kenny Wu Donna Parks Guy Germaine Reese Parks Annikan Supha-Negal Joseph Nigels Tucker Trist Courtney Fancy James Plot Pike Kurke Rich Mitchallmakis River Ivy Twimble Wilson Dean Portman  
  
Then he prepared to run away, hoping to god...  
  
"Portman??"  
  
He swore, and turned his head. There was Kenny, coming out of the drama room, holding a stack of papers in his hand.  
  
"...hi." Portman said reluctantly. Damnit, it HAD to be the little bash bro. He couldn't very well tell him to screw off, could he?  
  
"Are you trying out?" Kenny grinned. "So am I! And did you see, Guy is too. What song are you doing? What's your monologue like?"  
  
Portman stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to make a tough guy impression. "I was gonna sing 'Santa Fe'..."  
  
"From 'Newsies'?"  
  
"Yeah. But then I decided it was too damned sad. So I'm singing 'King Herod's Song'."  
  
"'Jesus Christ Super Star'!"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Kenny didn't seem to realize that Portman was more embarrassed than he had ever been in his entire career of living. What the hell was he supposed to say? God, he really wished he was dead...  
  
"That's great!" Ken exclaimed. "I'm singing 'Mr. Cellophane'. I think it fits."  
  
Portman was a bit taken a back from this comment, and scratched his head. "Uh...yeah, I connect with my song too."  
  
"Guy is singing 'Grow For Me'." Ken grinned, and Portman stared dumbly back at him. "You know, from 'Little Shop Of Horrors'."  
  
"You're really into this, aren't you?"  
  
"Well sure." Ken said, starting to walk down the hall. Portman grinned, and followed him. "I mean, I like to do it. So I don't mind reading up a bit, watching the movies, even if I'm getting bugged."  
  
Portman gave Ken a huge pat on the back. "Don't you worry, little Bash Bro. I'll look out for ya. If anyone gives you a tough time about this, then I'll take them down. After all, anything _I_ do, is cool."  
  
Ken laughed as they reached the gymnasium. "Yeah, thanks. Anyway, I have to give these to the Director. She's setting boundaries on the stage."  
  
"What are those?" Portman asked.   
  
"Scripts. I'm helping out with Stage Managing too. If I don't get a part I'm going to take over and be the Stage Manager. If I get one, then Ms. Hainsley, the director, she does everything, will get a little help from me when I'm not on."  
  
With that, Ken nodded his head in goodbye, and walked into the gym. Portman stared after him, and suddenly wasn't at all embarrassed by the fact he was trying out for a musical. If Ken could do it without a trace of shame, then why couldn't Portman?  
  
"Hey, Portman, I just saw your name on that wussy-ass sign up sheet!!" This yell came from Mark Stopper, a try-hard Fulton-Wannabee in Portman's gym class. "What the hell?"  
  
Portman turned around and grabbed the front of Mark's shirt, lifting him clear off of the ground. "You have a problem with that, DUMBASS?"  
  
Mark stared in horror at Portman, and then looked around sheepishly at everyone watching them. "N-no! That's-that's cool, you know, god speed. Sorry, man."  
  
Portman nodded his head, carried the whimpering Mark over to a garbage can, and dropped him inside. "I didn't think so." Portman dusted off his hands, and walked away. He greeted a couple of kids in his science class, and they all backed away from him fearfully.  
  
It was good to be the big guy.  
  
--------------  
  
"Oh-my-GOD." Guy exclaimed, sitting in between Ken and Donna in the Drama room that night for auditions. The last person he had ever expected had walked into the room. "Portman, holy shit!!"  
  
Portman jumped when he saw Guy, and glared him down. "Shut up!" He stalked over and sat in front of him. "I could say the same about you."  
  
Guy was laughing. "I never pictured you as the musical type."  
  
"Yeah, well-"  
  
"Guy!" Donna snapped at him. "Don't be a dumbass!" Guy made a face at her, and then slapped Portman's shoulder. "Thanks for coming out."  
  
"Yeah yeah..."  
  
Then, a tall, warm, but strict looking woman in her forties came from the office in the side of the room and stood in front of the bleacher seats, where all the auditioners were sitting. "Welcome to Musical Theatre! I am Miss. Hainsley, I will be the Director of our production, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." She continued speaking as Guy went through the lyrics to his song in his head...  
  
Finally, she called up the first kid. First on the list was Macy Luis-Smith. Donna said she was a shoo-in for the narrator. Macy was the only freshmen declared to beat out the older grades by a mile.  
  
They had to go up, state their song and monologue, and then say how much experience they'd had. Macy smiled, her long reddish-blond hair hung loose. "I'm singing 'Don't Cry For Me, Argentina'. From Evita. And my monologue is just...one I wrote. Oh, and I've been with the Minnesota Theatre Company for twelve years, and the American United Dance Association for eight."  
  
Everyone stared, and the pretty Macy blushed embaressedly.  
  
(Note: Those companies? Yeah, I made them up. =D)  
  
She began to sing, and already Guy knew she would be cast as the narrator. God she was good...and then when she got to the chorus, the huge belter voice that came out of her made nearly everyone in the room (who hadn't heard) stare in amazement.  
  
When she was done her audition, Guy felt deeply sorry for Donavon Michal, who forget his words.  
  
Lucy Duvart, a short and cute girl with bright orange hair, sang 'Home' from 'Beauty and The Beast', and used a hilarious self-written monologue about her dog.  
  
Finally, Ken was called up.  
  
He stood in front of the room, looking suddenly very shy. Guy noticed that Connie wasn't there, and took that as a sign that Ken didn't tell her. He was like that. If none of the other Ducks were auditioning, Ken wouldn't tell anyone. Not because of embarrassment, just shyness.  
  
"I'm Kenny Wu. Uh...I'm singing 'Mr. Cellophane' from Chicago. My monologue is from 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.'" He breathed, and then stumbled. "Oh, and uh...well, I was in 'Sound of Music' when I was seven. And I was an extra in a Jet Li movie."  
  
Everyone ooh'd and aah'd. "Is Jet Li nice?" Macy asked. Ken nodded.  
  
"He bought ice cream for all the kids on the last day of shooting." Then he cleared his throat. "Okay, so uh..."  
  
Ken started singing and Guy noticed his clear voice. Good, really good. Not 'Oh my god!!' good, but good enough for a lead role. His voice was surprisingly deep, and kind of rich sounding.  
  
When he was done, half the girls in the audience were swooning. He moved on to his monologue, spoken by Rosencrantz about death, a comedic look on when a person first realizes they die, and when he was done, he sheepishly sat down next to Guy. Guy patted his back, and Portman gave him a friendly punch on the arm.  
  
Donna was next. Guy gave her a kiss on the cheek, and several people cheered for her, as did people for Macy. Donna smiled confidently at Miss. Hainsley. "I'm Donna Parks. I will be singing 'Hopelessly Devoted To You' from 'Grease'. And my monologue is just...one I wrote. And I joined the Minnesota Theatre Company two years ago and I've been tap dancing since I was nine."  
  
Donna had a high, operatic type of voice, but with a musical theatre belt to it. It had a rich tone, and she had picked a song that was perfect for her. She was funny too, a better actress than she was singer. And man, could she dance...when she reached her monologue, she had most of the room in stitches because she was so damned funny.  
  
Finally, when she was done, she sat down next to Guy positively glowing. "You rocked." He told her. "You really rocked."  
  
"Guy Germaine." Miss. Haisley said, reading from the sheet. Guy breathed a bit, and stood up. Donna clapped for him, and Portman called out "Make me swoon Guy baby!"  
  
Guy stuck his hands in his pockets, and smiled his big smile. "Uh, I'm Guy Germaine. I'm singing 'Grow For Me' from 'Little Shop Of Horrors.' And my monologue is from 'When Harry Met Sally'." He coughed. "I...have never been in a show before. So...I might suck."  
  
Donna rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you're fine." Miss Hainsley said. "Go ahead."  
  
Guy took a breath...  
  
------------  
  
Portman had been surprised over what a good singer Guy was. He had one of those Matthew Broderick types of voices-a voice that could sing whatever, hit any note. You could tell he didn't have any training, but he was great, even with a bit of over doing nervous vibrato. His monologue was good too, and when Guy finally sat down, he looked pleased.  
  
Portman bit his lip. Then Donna's brother had gone and blown them all away. He was in grade eleven, and had been the lead the year before when they did 'Beauty And The Beast'. River Ivy also stood out as one of the best damned actors Portman had ever seen. All of the auditioners tonight had been good, and Portman couldn't believe he was last...  
  
"Dean Portman." Miss Haisley called. Guy patted his shoulder, and Portman walked up to the stand in front of everyone.  
  
"I'm uh...Dean Portman. I'm singing 'King Harods Song' from uh...Jesus...Christ Super Star. And my monologue is just something I saw Jerry Seinfeld do. It was pretty damned funny. I take singing lessons, I have been for like...I dunno, thee years, and I've been dancing with Chicago Dancers since I was two-"  
  
"WHAT?!" Guy shouted out, causing everyone to stare at him. "Since WHEN?"  
  
"Since always, dumbass."  
  
Miss. Haisley was smirking along with the rest of the class, who was snickering. "Go ahead, Mr. Portman."  
  
"Oh sure." Portman cleared his throat, and immediately jumped into character, and started to sing.  
  
Guy and Ken were surprised. He looked like a pro. He was a definite run-in for the lead. He not only was funny, and selling the song, but then he would burst out with a powerful voice, using crescendos and everything...  
  
When he was done, Macy and Donna were whooping, and Guy was fairly jealous. Then, Portman set immediately into the monologue. He started it off hilariously:  
  
"The main difference between the man's wallet and the woman's wallet is the photo section. Women carry with them a photograph of every person they've ever met every day in their whole life since the beginning of time. And every picture's out of date. "Here's my cousin, 3 years old, she's in the Marines now. This is my dog, he died during the Carter administration." They get stopped by a cop, no license and "Alright ma'am, just wanted to make sure you had some friends. Move it along... Routine pal check."  
  
When he was finally done, everyone was incredibly impressed and laughing hard. Though he wasn't Jerry Seinfeld, he was damned hilarious as it was.  
  
Finally, Miss. Haisley went to the front of the room. "Well, I can see we have a very talented cast this year...the cast list will be up on Monday. Tonight was the last day of auditions, so congratulations Mr. Portman for ending it on a wonderful note."  
  
Portman grinned. "I know I know, I rock-"  
  
"And at the latest, the list will be up on Tuesday. See you all soon."  
  
As everyone filed out, Guy stared in awe at Portman. "You didn't tell me you danced. " Portman shrugged. "That's hilarious."  
  
Portman shrugged again. "You didn't tell me you could sing like a bitch. And you're funny, too. And you-" Portman looked at Ken. "You're awesome."  
  
Ken smiled shyly. "Well, we'll see what Miss. Haisley thought on Monday."  
  
"Or Tuesday." Donna reminded. "I'm off, me and Macy are going to get food. Talk to you later." She kissed Guy lightly on the lips, and them smiled at Ken and Portman. "Bye you two, great job." She hurried off after Macy.  
  
"Man, she's hot." Portman grinned. "Nice catch, Guy."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Food sounds good." Ken said. "Lets go get pizza."  
  
Portman and Guy agreed, and the three of them set off for Boston Pizza, feeling suddenly very excited, like they felt before a big game. Monday would come, and they were counting time already.  
  
--------------  
  
'Thank you everyone for coming to audition for JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAM COAT. The following is the cast list for the year. -Miss Haisley.'  
  
JOSEPH: Joseph Nigels JOSEPH (UNDERSTUDY): Reese Parks NARRATOR: Macy Luis-Smith NARRATOR (UNDERSTUDY): Tristeen Onar PHARAOH: Tucker Trist PHARAOH (UNDERSTUDY): Dean Portman POTIPHAR: James Plot JACOB: James Plot POTIPHARS WIFE: River Ivy REUBAN: Guy Germaine REUBANS WIFE: Donna Parks SIMEON: Reese Parks SIMEONS WIFE: River Ivy LEVI: Rich Mitchallmakis LEVIS WIFE: Courtney Fancy NAPTHALI: Annikan Supha-Negal NAPTHALI'S WIFE: Leslie Dims ISAACHAR: Twimble Wilson ISAACHARS WIFE: Lucy Duvart ASHER: Pike Kurke ASHER'S WIFE: Lily Pete DAN: Nick Logan DAN'S WIFE: Miriam Saluse ZEBULAN: Phil Pauls ZEBULANS WIFE: Nina Lake GAD: Ross Timothy GADS WIFE: Michelle Bart BENJAMIN: Kenny Wu JUDAH: Dean Portman SNAKE: Reese Parks BUTLER: Kenny Wu BAKER: Annikan Supha-Negal  
  
Guy, Portman and Ken all stared at the list Monday at 8pm. They quickly looked at the page of solos in excitement, hardly believing it. Guy was singing a solo, and so was Portman. And Kenny had a few lines to sing when he was the Butler. And Benjamin was an important part. Not mention, Dean was an understudy for a huge role, and Ken had two.  
  
"This kicks ASS!!" Portman shouted out, smacking Guy and Ken on the their backs. "YES!!"  
  
"I can't believe I have a fucking solo..." Guy stared at the sheet, a huge smile on his face. "Besides Macy, you two, Donna and me...nearly everyone is in the older grades."  
  
"First rehearsal is tomorrow after school." Ken said, and then whooped. "This kicks ass..."  
  
Thus, the three Ducks linked arms and started whooping and cheering and running down the halls, Portman shoving people into lockers as they went.  
  
Miss. Haisley watched them do so, shook her head, and had a feeling that Musical Theatre would be especially insane this year...  
  
END OF PART 28  
  
(I love the musical-ness! I know this chapter was long and actually pretty boring, but I had to write it so you all know who's lead and such. Like how I put in a bit of Newsies reference? =D Aaron Lohr was so awesome in that. He's a great dancer, singer and actor. I find that so funny. Anyway, see you in the next part.) 


	35. Them's The Breaks

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
  
Part 29: Them's The Breaks  
  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Sorry, Part 29 took awhile, didn't it? I've been working pretty hard on my Newsies fanfiction. My on-going Newsies fic, Concerto, is kind of prime with me at the moment because it's just getting started. But I promise I wont forget Breaking Hazel. Now I am back from vacation, and my Mighty Ducks! Muse is on the go, so no worries!  
  
Xomegsxo: You have officially won the award for longest-and sweetest-review in history. Thanks so much for all the comments. Lol, about Jesse, it's funny you should ask, because he does have a major come back in the story. I love him as well, and I would never ever forget about him. He'll be coming back some time soon, and it isn't the end of him and Tammy by a long shot. They're just too cute-even if I completely made them up. I'm still trying to find slight hints of them in the movie, but it was actually Terry who acted as if he had a crush on her. But I just think it would be cuter for scruffy, tough ass and very hot Jesse to be the one to fall for the girly girl. Also, though I wont say anything, I do have to say that I am taking the Adam and Charlie part pretty far...hey, I DID give it away. Oh well. BUT you will have Jesse. Hell, you can steal him from Tammy. Lol. Now, you get a big gigantic cookie for your award for the longest and sweetest review. Don't say I never did nothin' for the peoples. =D Love you chickadee.  
  
KShyne99: You are a big doll. It's really nice to hear support as great as yours. You, along with all my reviewers, always stand by me. I promise you I'll try not to have as many long delays as I've had recently with this fic. As for Ken/Connie/Guy, man, I have so many soap opera twists coming up. =D I hope you like dramatics because this fic'll be FULL of them. I'm not sure when to make the BIG THING happen though...hmmmm. Anyhow, see ya doll-face.  
  
OreoLine00: LOL. Your review made me laugh very much. I'll e-mail you when I have the chance-that being, when I fix my goddamn e-mail...I should divorce that thing--, anyhow, I wont be having as many long delays as the fic progresses. But I have two major fics going on right now, this one and my Newsies fic Concerto, so I'll do the best I can to keep both updated frequently. Thanks for all your support chicka, and I'll try not to keep you hanging so long next time!  
  
DuckHockey00214496: Sorry you don't like Ken, or Ken and Connie. I love Kenny desperately *hugs Ken!Muse*, but it took me forever to even consider anything besides Connie and Guy, so I totally see where you're coming from. And hey, I, like many others, am a firm believer that Connie and Guy got back together after D3. Why WAS she so awful to him in that movie? See ya soon!  
  
QteCuttlfish: GASP!! You don't like my beloved Donna??! Oh well...I guess I can't win 'em all. But you like the fic, so that's all that matters. Donna is a bit of a bitch sometimes, so I can definitely see why not everyone would like her. But I can't help but like her. She's a good girl for Guy right now. Anyhow, yes, I love my Adam!Muse. He's just so serious but cute at the same time. What we need is a Drunk!Charlie to get him to loosen up...heh heh heh. I would like to know why Donna annoys you though-she annoys me when she's being a hypocrite. I mean, I still wuv her, but I made her a hypocrite by accident and now I'm stuck with a hypocrite. Oh well. Bye hun!  
  
DuckHockey00: Yaaay! New reviewer! Well, I'm glad you like my fic! It's a lot of work, but when I get nice reviews like yours, it definitely pays off. I agree, wonderful Guy does not get enough attention at ALL in the movies. I love him most when him and Fulton and Jesse drove the Zamboni through the glass-that was the best. Brings a smile to my face this day. I think I'll watch D2 tonight...haven't watched it in a long time, and it rocks my socks.  
  
Bella7: LOL! I know how you feel about Julie and Portman. They are just too cute and wonderful to miss. I always hook them up, save a few fic ideas I have in my head. But they're just so cute because she's miss Strait A's student and he's just such a bad ass. A sexy one. Have you see Newsies. Watch it. Aaron Lohr, the guy that plays Portman, can sing AND dance. REALLY WELL. If you've seen it, you know this, but if not RENT IT. Bye honabelle.  
  
iluvguygermaine00: Yes, guy is a wonderful god that should be worshiped. I love my Guy!Muse. He's so full of angst and so sad, but yet so happy when he wants to be. I can't believe you could read my fic for two days! Didn't you get bored! I would have taken a break of me if I were you. I don't have that option. But you ROCK. I shall definitely e-mail when I have time AND read your fic, which I am off to take a look at right now. I'm sure it is marvelous.  
  
Cake Eater: You know I love you. =D You get bigger review LATER.  
  
eriks-lil-rocker: You know I love you too. =D In fact, I hug you. [hug]  
  
DodgerMcClure.aka.Drama-Queen: Oh I KNOW, when Aaron doesn't have his shirt on, I was hooked from the first scene. I mean, even if the movie sucked (which it didn't, it is perfect and I love it) I still would have kept watching JUST because of shirtless Aaron. VIVE LA THEATRE NUTS. [Dances the Tango: Maureen]  
  
Plainjane: Doesn't Newsies kick a thousand butts? I was just waiting to get a reference in there. I mean, god, who knew that Aaron Lohr was such a hot little ballerina? I mean WATCH him, it astounds me. I'm so glad you love me ficcie. Sometimes I get writers block and then I hate it, so I'm really glad that other people love it for me. Bye bye honey.  
  
aznJEDI13: Why thank you! =D I read one of your fics this morning, one of the old ones for old time sake. Man, you are the Guy and Connie MASTER. My Guy/Connie!Muse is lacking right now, BUT it will be back when...ooh no, I cannot give anything away. Love ya dearly.  
  
Percussion: Yes, opening night will be a thriller! AND since your name is Percussion, you are officially self-inserted into the fic as the drummer in the stage band. =D Thanks for the weather tip, you're probably right. October seems perfect. Weather is all mine you say? =O AHAHA, I control the weather!!  
  
Goblz: Unfortunately, as much as I wish I didn't have to do it, knocking on wood wont keep Guy's luck in check. BUT, you will smile when you see that this is the very chapter where Averman's life begins to turn around! By the way-I love your name. I said it out loud and it sounded supa fly.  
  
NYgoldfish54: You DEMAND an update!? Well then, by all means! [Hands you an update cake] =D And, to go with your cake, here is your update. Aren't I marvolous? I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Goodness, I'm so damned glad I got the auditions over with. See ya sweets, and enjoy the cake.)  
  
-------------------  
  
Portman was staring at his script in utter and complete awe. He grinned, despite the fact it was almost 5am. Him, Guy and Ken had practice soon, they had hurried to the drama room to grab their scripts and stuff them in their backpacks. But despite how early it was, he was in a great mood.  
  
"Man, I get to sing like, a Carribean song! This totally kicks ass!! And, hey hey, little bash bro, it's about you." He grinned at Ken, pointing his finger to the top of the score. "See? 'Benjamin Calypso.'"  
  
"I got that." Ken smirked, and went back to looking at the music. "Guy, you get the cowboy song."  
  
"Joy." Guy smirked. "Oh, Portman, you gotta learn all the Pharaoh parts too. Gotta love being a understudy."  
  
"'Course I do!" Portman slung an arm around Ken and Guy. "Man, this is gonna kick ass."  
  
"You told Connie you made it in, yet?" Guy asked Ken, who blushed. He shook his head. "How come?"  
  
"She'll find out, wont she? Besides, I don't want to brag or anything. They'll probably all know by hockey practice t anyway, ya know? I don't want to blab."  
  
This seemed to be Ken's general motive, but Guy could tell he was still slightly embarrassed. Scared Connie might bug him. She wouldn't, she wasn't that type of girl, but then again, Guy had no idea what their relationship was like. He tried not to think about it.  
  
The teacher had left the drama room open so early specifically for them, and they got their permission from Orion to jump back and forth between rehearsals and hockey.  
"So, did you guys tell anyone you were auditioning?" Guy asked. Portman shrugged. "Is that yes or no?"  
  
"It's a 'people-have-seen-my-name-but-aint-saying-anything'." Portman nodded. "That's what it is." Guy grinned, and Ken laughed. "How about you?"  
  
Guy shook his head. "You guys know, and of course, Donna knows, but that's about it."  
  
"I told my mom." Ken offered. "But that's kind of a given. She pretty much had a hernia of excitement."  
  
"She's just so proud of her little boy!" Portman exclaimed, grabbing Ken and ruffling his hair. "As am I, my little Bash Bro!"  
  
They were well on their way to the Locker Rooms now, and as they stepped inside, there was a burst of applause and sarcastic shouts from Charlie and Fulton.  
  
They knew.  
  
"Oh, Portman, baby, I can't wait to see your splashing debut!" Fulton joked, slapping Portman on the back. "I didn't know you were into that stuff, man!"  
  
Portman immediately went on a rant about how cool 'the arts' actually were, and Fulton looked torn between congratulating him or running away. Luckily, he didn't do the latter. But he didn't do the former either.  
  
Guy opened his locker, knowing that everyone was too busy marveling at the utter amazement that Portman liked MUSICALS to bother him. Never the less, he glanced over his shoulder at Connie, who was hugging Ken. It didn't bother him too much anymore, ever since he realized how much he liked Donna, but still...  
  
"So, Mr. Broderick, I do believe you just landed a part in a Tony-award winning musical! What do you plan to do next?" Averman shot up next to him, using his hockey stick as a fake microphone. Guy grinned as he pulled out his hockey pads.  
  
"Well Ms. Walters, I do believe I'm going to go to hockey practice, followed by a nice hot shower when I get back to my dorms." Guy then walked to another corner of the locker room, leaving Averman looking after him going 'Ms. WALTERS?...hey, I am not Ms. WALTERS.'  
  
Portman by now was sucking up all the attention he was getting. Even Connie seemed pretty impressed that he had such a huge dance history. But Julie was having none of it. In fact, she stalked right by him and out of the locker room without saying so much as a 'congratulations.'  
  
After that, Portman's good mood deteriorated considerably.  
  
By the time they were all out on the ice, Orion was tweeting the whistle loudly and yelling at everyone to 'HUSTLE HUSTLE HUSTLE'.  
  
"Guy!" Guy turned his head slightly before starting his laps as Connie skated up to him.  
  
"Hey." Guy grinned, and she smiled back. He was happier than he would ever say that Connie was speaking with him again, that they were friends again. For awhile it had seemed that they never would be after they broke up. But Connie was friendly and so Guy was friendly too.  
  
"I think it's great that you got in the school musical." She said. "So...congratulations."  
  
Then she skated off, and Guy knew he had a goofy grin on his face. He quickly dismissed it, but still...it was amazing the kind of effect Connie had on him. Guy started on his laps and Adam slid up next to him. "How are your ribs?" Adam asked.  
  
Guy shushed him, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Orion was busy telling Portman to try harder on his practice shots (Portman was glaring at Julie instead of shooting properly.) "Listen, they're fine, but can you keep it down?"  
  
"Guy, you do realize that you might have to go to a HOSPITAL?"  
  
"Who has to go to a hospital?" Averman said as he skated up next to Guy. "Somebody hurt?"  
  
"No-" Guy started but Adam broke in.  
  
"Guy may have broken his ribs in the Varsity game."  
  
Averman winced at Guy and whistled. "Geeze, that isn't good. I'm real glad I'm not you." Guy glared at Adam and skated up ahead. "What'd I say?" Averman asked, worriedly watching Guy skate off.  
  
"Nothing, he just doesn't want anyone to know that he's hurt." Adam answered. "Anyway, I..."  
  
Adam's brow furrowed and let his gaze travel beyond Averman. Averman craned his neck to look at what Adam was peering at, and saw Portman and Julie in an angry argument by the net. Orion was in his office, taking a call. So no one was breaking them up.  
  
"Stop going easy on me in the net! It isn't good practice for EITHER of us, you jerk!"  
  
Portman, who was almost a head taller than Julie, was glowering down at her. "I AINT going easy on you!"  
  
Julie snorted. "Well, then, I guess you're not too much of a SCORER now, are you?!"  
  
"You know Kitty Cat, you should REALLY do something about your stupid big mouth, because it aint doing anyone any good right now!"  
  
"It's 'ISN'T', not 'AINT'. And don't call me 'Kitty Cat!'"  
  
"DON'T tell me how to talk!!"  
  
"I'll do whatever I want to!"  
  
"Yeah, I can tell, what with you following around the Varsity goalie like a puppy!"  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"Would you like me to fucking TALLY up how many times I've seen you clinging on to him in the halls?"  
  
"We LIKE each other, so we HAPPEN to TOUCH each other in public sometimes! I don't see why that should be your problem!"  
  
"Nothing, nothing about it is my problem!" Portman raised his hands up in mock defense. "You just have a REALLY BAD MEMORY. Don't you? I guess you forget PREVIOUS relationships."  
  
Julie was clenching her fists, and biting her lip. "Is she gonna CRY?" Averman mumbled to Adam, and Adam shushed him.  
  
"It's not like you exactly remembered me either." She blurted, and then gave him a hard shove, and since he wasn't expecting it, he went toppling, head over heels, onto the ice. "You ASSHOLE!!" She yelled down at him.  
  
Just then, Orion came back out. "WHAT is going on here?!" No one said a word. Orion skated furiously over to Julie and Portman (who was hoisting himself back up to his feet.) Orion turned to Julie. "What did you do that for!?" Julie didn't say anything. "You ANSWER to your COACH, Gaffney!"  
  
Now Julie was crying. A few tears had come from her eyes and were dripping slowly down her cheeks. This caught Orion slightly off guard. After all, if he had ever yelled at one of his kids in years before, none of them had cried.  
  
"I just-"  
  
"She's had a really bad day." Portman said. "And I was bugging her."  
  
Julie looked up at Portman, confusion all over her face. Orion sighed, and rubbed his temple with his fingers. "Well, Julie The Cat, you going to be alright for practice?"  
  
Julie nodded, and wiped away her tears. "Yeah."  
  
"But I don't want to catch you, or anyone, ever pushing down a teammate like that ever again. Do you understand me?" Julie nodded. "Good." He turned to look at everyone. "Get back to your laps!!!"  
  
Quickly, everyone obliged. Orion turned to Julie and Portman again. "You two resolve this quickly, and then get back to practice. If you need more time, please step outside. Do you need me to talk to you?"  
  
Both shook their heads.  
  
"Alright." He gave Julie a pat on the back, and skated off, blowing his whistle.  
  
Julie looked at Portman and sighed. "Why did you cover for me?"  
  
Portman wasn't meeting her gaze. "Just because we hate each other right now doesn't mean you're not a Duck."  
  
"I don't hate you."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Portman was still angry, and when he finally did turn to look at her, she knew that this argument was burned on his brain. "Well, right now, I don't really care if you do or don't."  
  
Her temper got the better of her. "Like I give a damn." Then she turned away from him, and went to her net, pulling on her gloves which she had taken off and set on top of it when she and Portman had started arguing. Portman skated away, muttering under his breath.   
  
Connie came up next to Julie, an almost amused expression on her face. "Man, what was that?" She asked. Julie was still brushing tears away, so the smile trailed off of Connie's face. "Are you okay, Julie?"  
  
Julie shook her head. "I don't know why this is getting to me so much, but I just want him to leave me alone."  
  
Connie sighed. "Do you want me to talk to him?"  
  
Julie was about to say no. About to tell Connie that the last thing she wanted was for someone to do this for her. But then she changed her mind. Because she didn't want to talk to Portman. But she did want SOMEONE to. Someone she really trusted. Someone who wouldn't be too biased.   
  
And that was Connie. "Yeah...could you?" Connie nodded, and gave Julie a hug. Julie hugged her back, still sniffling.  
  
Then Goldberg skated by and said "Ooooooooohh, LESBIANS."  
  
Then Connie and Julie decked him.  
  
------------------------------   
  
Guy was cleaning out his locker. Everyone had long since left, and Guy's decision to stay behind and clean it out was when he realized the awful stench that was in that room every day was actually coming mainly from his locker. He hadn't cleaned his hockey equipment since they won in the Junior Goodwill games. He hadn't wanted to wash the luck off.  
  
Now that the Varsity game was over, he figured he could wash like, ONE THING, but he might as well try and air out the locker instead of taking chances of breaking his hockey superstitions.  
  
"Germaine?"  
  
Guy looked over his shoulder, and saw Orion standing there, his arms folded across his chest. "Yeah, I know it's gross, but I'm cleaning it out..."  
  
"I'm not here to talk to you about your locker." He scrunched up his nose. "Though it's disgusting. Do something about that."  
  
"On it." Guy turned to look at his coach. "What is it?"  
  
Orion sighed. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. "I've been told you've broken your ribs."  
  
Guy's smile faded. "What?"  
  
"Your ribs. Are they broken?"  
  
Guy was pissed. Adam had told. Adam had told and he'd promised he wouldn't! "No, they're fine! Adam's wrong-"  
  
"Mr. Banks didn't tell me." Orion said. "Les Averman did."  
  
AVERMAN? "Averman?  
  
"Yes."  
  
Guy groaned. Why the hell would Averman go and do something like that? But then again, Guy had never told HIM not to tell...but still, the guy should know. "Why the hell..."  
  
"He was worried about you, that's all." Orion sat next to Guy, his arms still crossed, his face still stern. "We'll have to check up on you, Germaine. See what the doctors say about you playing the next game."  
  
Guy nodded, biting his lip. "I'm fine, though, really, it doesn't hurt anymore." Well...it didn't hurt too MUCH anymore.  
  
"I'm afraid that doesn't cut it, Germaine. We don't want to jeopardize your season, and we most of all don't want to jeopardize your health." He gave Guy a small pat on the back. "Now come on, clean out your locker some other time, I'm going to call your teachers and give you the day off of classes. We're going to the hospital. And I'll need your fathers number."  
  
Guy swallowed. God. More than anything, he needed to play hockey. If he couldn't...then it wouldn't take his mind off of things anymore. Now his moods were getting wavy. Some days were good, some were bad. This one had started off alright, but...but if he couldn't play hockey, then...  
  
But he was caught. Orion knew and he wasn't getting out of it.  
  
And he couldn't be mad at Averman. Because the dumb jerk had been worried about him, and you can't exactly get furious at someone for their good intentions, could you?  
  
So Guy stuffed his things back in his locker, slammed it, and followed Orion out the door.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Portman was still in a bad mood once he got to English. Luis was sitting next to him, and giving him wary looks. He looked as if he wanted to ask Portman what was wrong, but didn't know quite how. "Man, Portman, are you okay dude? You and Julie..." Luis whistled. "That looked nuts."  
  
They were supposed to be working on their novel study, but Portman's mind was in another place. "I'm fine. I don't care that she's a dumb brat."  
  
Luis rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't, man, of course you don't."  
  
"I mean, who does she think she is? We never OFFICIALLY broke up. Hey..." Realization seemed to dawn on Portman. "We NEVER broke up!"  
  
"Were you ever officially TOGETHER?" Luis asked. Portman ignored him.  
  
"Now I have a way to get back at her!" Portman exclaimed. "I can break up with her IN FRONT OF SCOOBIE."  
  
"Scooter."  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Portman stood up. "Mr. Wormen, I need to go to the bathroom."  
  
The teacher looked oddly at Portman as the boy walked towards the door. "Do you have your hall pass?"  
  
"No!" He grinned, and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Luis sighed, and let his head fall to his desk. He didn't want to think about Portman and Julie's problems. Instead, he let his mind drift to his hot cheerleader girlfriend, who he was meeting during lunch in the Janitor's closet...  
  
Luis grinned. Yeah. That was a LOT better than focusing on Portman and Julie's problems.  
  
Portman meanwhile was walking down the hall, trying to find Julie during her spare. He knew this was her spare because she was the only freshmen in the school who had one. She had taken Grade 9 math during the summer before she came here. Why someone would take math EARLY was beyond Portman.  
  
When he turned a corner, he saw Julie not too far away, with Scoobie. Or Scabbie. Or whatever his name was. She was leaning against her locker, and the Varsity goalie was leaning close to her, grinning.  
  
Were they going to kiss?...  
  
"Portman!" He heard a hiss, and then someone grabbed his arm and pulled him back around the corner. He looked down at saw Connie staring up at him with a serious expression.   
  
"Oh, hey Con-Meister." He observed her. "Dude, you are WAY shorter than 5'4. My aunt's 5'4, and you're shorter than her."  
  
Connie's serious look turned into a panicked one. "Oh my god, are you serious?" She looked down at herself. "I can't be THAT short."  
  
"It's okay, Con." Portman shuffled her hair. "You're still a babe."  
  
Connie laughed, and then seemed to remember what she had stopped him for. "Listen, would you stop giving Julie such a hard time?"  
  
He blinked. Well, she had cut right to the chase, hadn't she? "Excuse me?"  
  
"I know that she hasn't been exactly easy to talk to for you, but she's going to try her best and get along with you." Connie knew Julie hadn't said that, but she'd make her. "So I think you should do your best to get a long with her too. After all, you two were never officially a couple."  
  
Damnit! Portman's plan was ruined! "Yeah, but she..."  
  
"Just...try." Connie sighed. "Okay? Because...because she really cares about you and I'll think she'll come around. You're better for her than Scooter is."  
  
Portman grinned. Connie was good with words. And she had the adorable face to convince. "What, you want me to be nice to her?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Fine." Portman nodded. "I will be."  
  
Connie smiled and gave him a hug. "Thanks Portman. And..." She pulled back. "She WILL come around. I know it."  
  
Then Connie turned on her heel and left, and Portman, regretfully, walked back to class. He wished he could believe Connie. But Julie had looked pretty comfortable with Scooter.  
  
But he couldn't do too much about it, could he? Fine, he'd be nice to her. He'd be PERFECT to her. In fact, he would be the damned nicest guy on the whole god forsaken planet.  
  
But he was going to get a girlfriend while he was at it. And see how SHE liked it. HAH. Then he'd...he'd...  
  
Be absolutely, completely, and utterly miserable.  
  
Wasn't he supposed to be a tough guy? Stupid Julie.   
  
...stupid, stupid, perfect Julie.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Averman HATED Phys Ed.  
  
He really REALLY hated Phys Ed.  
  
Which was funny, since he was technically a Jock. He WAS on the hockey team after all, and he was one of the best players. But Phys Ed was different. He was pretty good at most of these sports, but no one ever PICKED him for anything. Goddamnit, just because he had curly red hair and glasses didn't mean he sucked!!  
  
They knew he was on the hockey team, so the only time he got anything done in gym was when they did the hockey units; floor hockey, field hockey, ice hockey. Otherwise, forget it.  
  
It was really annoying.  
  
Then, to make matters worse, a basketball came flying into his face, and he went toppling backwards.  
  
"Oh!" He heard. "Oh, I am so so so so so so sorry!"  
  
He looked up, and saw a girl standing over him. He sat up, and she sat down next to him. "Oh my God that looks so painful! Mr. Teese!" She called out to the gym teacher, who was almost laughing along with the rest of the class. "Mr. Teese, I'll take him to the nurse, his nose is bleeding!"  
  
The teacher nodded, and waved them away. "Oooowwww..." Averman groaned as he put his hand to his nose. Indeed, it was bleeding. "Wow, I'll look just beautiful in the morning..."  
  
She led him out of the gym, and rushed into the washroom, all the while going 'Oh god oh god oh god' and then came back out with paper towels, which she shoved at him.   
  
"Are you okay? I'm Amy, by the way, and...and I'm so so sorry!"   
  
Averman had to laugh. "It...it was an accident, don't worry about it."  
  
She took his arm and started to lead him to the nurse's office. "I can't do anything connected to balls, I swear." Her face went beat red. "I...I mean-I uh...I don't...oh God."  
  
Averman snorted and took a good look at the girl standing next to him. She was very short, and had a round, but petite figure. Averman couldn't help but notice her well endowed chest. Her face wasn't what one would call pretty, but it was cute, in an unconventional way. She had a small nose and mouth, and about a million freckles, and very very short brown hair.  
  
"That looks horrible, I'm really sorry." She said. "I'm Amy, did I tell you that?"  
  
He hadn't forgotten. "Well, I'm Averman. Uh, Les. Lester. Les Averman, really, call me...Averman, I guess." Smooth, boy, real smooth. "And you really know how to get a guy's attention. Hitting him in the face with a basketball, giving him a bloody nose, and then telling him you don't know anything about balls."  
  
He expected her to slap him. Most of the girls he'd tried to hit on this year had. But she laughed. She had a high pitched, cutesy laugh. A pretty laugh. He liked it. "You're _funny_." She said.  
  
"You like that?" He asked, holding the paper towels up to his nose as they continued to the Nurse's Office. "I got more if you want."  
  
And they walked on, and she laughed at all his jokes. Even the dumb one about the horse and the minister.  
  
END OF PART 29  
  
(READ READ: I'm sorry if I missed anyone in the shout outs, I was only doing the reviews from the last chapter, not the ones before. But I'm going to do shout outs all the time now, so you shall all be mentioned sooner or later. I LOVE YOU ALL.  
  
Also--I decided to bring Amy in. I wasn't sure if I should, but I worked on her character, and I know she isn't going to be a Mary Sue. I like Amy, she's small and funny. ANYHOW, I started out hating how this part was going, and now I love it. And also, Guy will be the focus of most chapters again after this. Because in this one he isn't the main even though the fic is about him. BUT no worries. It is a Guy fic after all.) 


	36. Drowning

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
  
Part 30: Drowning  
  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Yaaaaay! Part 30! I am oh so glad! And soon...soooon, all the Jesse fans will be very very happy. But not in this chapter. AH HA!  
  
XOMEGSXO: Well, the academy [consisting of me and my computer, and a good hot cup of chai tea latte] would like to thank YOU. =D I crack myself up...oh, how I love Scoobie-I mean, Scooter, but really, he's just TOO good to be true. You know what I mean? Handsome, good at hockey, smart, stands up to his team...in our world, that just ain't done. Amy kicks lots of butt. I'm glad you liked them. =D Her characterization was hard to do, and I'm still gonna have ta find time to get more of her and Averman INTO the fic. But hey, anything can be done when I have my computer and a chai tea latte...I mean, the academy.  
  
BELLA7: The world of Bella!? I've been meaning to go there, but I'm broke, so alas, no plane ticket. But promise you'll save me a place in the guestbook. Julie and Portman kick butt, I plan to drag that romance out for as long as I can. Make you all suffer. Angst Guy is a good guy, as is Connie and Guy. WOO Averman. I think Matt has got another life now, and left acting behind. The big dope. We loved him...at least, I THOUGHT he left acting behind till you said he was a guest star. So I guess he's just struggling. Everyone is a struggling actor these days. I will indeed read your fic Hidden, and give it a big strong review. And I'm so happy you like Amy. Isn't Aaron just a doll? I swear, in the entire opening scene of Newsies, I don't pay attention because he's shirtless. Racetrack is my favorite though. You know who he is, the short little Italian wiseass. I love him. And I love you! See ya!  
  
KSHYNE99: Yaaay! You love it! I always pictured Portman as some sort of gentleman in disguise. I mean, you know when Connie takes that hit in D2 during the last game? And the Iceland guy skates by him and Fulton in the box and laughs? Portman and Fulton get so mad, jumping up at him. but Portman always stands out there the most. I have a theory that he wont let anyone hurt a girl. So the only one allowed to argue with Julie is him. Averman always gets me pumped, he kicks butt muchly! Now, read on to see what is up in Guy's x-rays...*bites nails*  
  
NYGOLDFISH54-Kristine-: Once again, aren't Julie and Portman the cutiest couple ever? They make me smile so much in the movies. Like how he calls her 'sweetie' and 'babe'. And the scene where he's trashing the locker room in D2 and she walks in looking so cute in her gear and goes 'I know how you feel'. The look they share-siigggh. I'll stop now, I could go on about Julie and Portman for hours, really I could. Poor Guy...I really give him a tough time, don't I? But it's just so much fun! He takes it awhile, he's an angst bitch. See ya doll!  
  
PERCUSSION: Lockers don't smell at your school??! Wow, lucky, mine is GROSS. It smells like soy sauce, with a mix of parsnips. Not kidding. I really need to find out how that happened. You play drums for real? So does my best friend, she kicks ass. Doesn't Averman deserve a love interest? He's just such a doll, I'd totally date him. I love guys who can make me laugh. Way better than guys like Charlie. No, I love Charlie. He was just such a bitch in D3. But it was sexy. See ya!  
  
NELLIE2: Yes, reading my fic from start to finish takes a very long time. I tried, and I couldn't do it because I personally am way too critical. =D Thanks so much for your nice review, I love new reviewers. I do try my best. I better not read my fic again or I'll find myself trying to re-write it, and that would take about forty years. Bye doll! Thanks again.  
  
KAT: You don't like Connie?! Oh noooo! It always saddens me when people don't like Connie, I adore her. Care to tell me why? I've never disliked any Duck...maybe Dwayne for awhile, and there was a period of time where Julie annoyed me. That was odd, because I love Julie as much as the next person, but for awhile I was just like BOOO Julie. =D But you love Guy, so all is right with the world. And also, yes, Julie and Portman kick so much ass it ain't even funny. =D Bye bye!  
  
GOBLZ: I have a theory that Averman has a soft spot for every single Duck. I mean, kind of like a mama bear. AHAHA, mama bear Averman. I know how you mean when you say you liked it when Guy got hurt. I wanted so bad for him and Connie to get back together in the movie, I thought that was the point it would happen. But NOO. Connie remained indifferent. Grrr, to her. Yes indeed, your name is Supa fly. Especially when I say it. And we shall see lots of Jake worry-age in this part. Hurrah!  
  
CQQUACK: Guy does kick butt, don't he? I have such a weakness for him, in the movies, sometimes he's all I watch. And he has that killer smile. He is so damned cute. Averman does need a goil. So he gets a goil. A cool one named Amy who seems kind of hyperactive now that I read what I've done with her. Oh well. Thanks for the review hun!  
  
PLAINJANE: Averman deserves a girl more than anyone else. I mean, the guy is so damned funny, and he really puts up with a lot. No wait, Russ deserves a girl the most. THEN Averman. And Adam deserves a big, hunky guy. But Charlie will have to do. I love 'King Of New York' most...mainly because Racetrack tap-dances. He's my fave. You asked me why I picked Ken! Someone finally asks me! Thankyou! Okay, so, the whole basis of the Ken and Connie relationship is from the bus scene in D3. You know when the headmaster guy get's on the bus to tell them he's revoking their scholarships? Well, I saw Ken and Connie sitting together and almost went nuts because she wasn't sitting with Guy. I watched them in the background, and they're just talking, and my over-active imagination turned it into flirting. So yes...that is where it comes from. And Ken is hot and smart. So when I was deciding who Connie would get with, I chose him. There. I am so happy you asked!!!  
  
OREOLINE00: I KNEW you'd be happy with the update. You named your dog Scooby?? Now THAT is cool. Why didn't I ever think of that? Well, I named Scooter Scoobie, so I guess I made up for it. =D I just have so many evil ideas for Portman and Julie and I'm not sure if I should use them or not. Many of which involve drunk!Portman and mad!Julie. I think that would be a very very funny scene. Hmmm...I'll get right on it.  
  
VALERINA1: I got a standing ovation! YOU my dear, kick butt. Thank you, thank you. What can I say? I'm a big ham. Really I am. You should see me on stage, god, the things I do. Connie and Guy are like the obvious adorable couple, but isn't it amazing how goddamn cute the idea of Julie and Portman is? He's such a badass and she's such a...strait A student. Aaah...I plan on tormenting those two a while longer before they hook up again. I am off! Enjoy!  
  
CIMMY: You read my fic first? =D I feel so cool now. Thankee kindly for reviewing now if you never have before. I'm glad you're still a fan. Aah, this fic brings back nostalgia for me as well. I've been writing it for so long, I'm not even sure when I started it. A year ago? Woah, I have no idea. Ooh, ooh, what kind of sandwich are you eating? I love sandwiches-they're always delicious. Thanks for your compliments. They made me smile.  
  
CAKE EATER: Goldberg is the bomb. I love him so much. I'm totally going to write a fic just for him once I'm all finished with this one. Which will take a very very long time...sometimes I don't know if Breaking Hazel will ever end. I think Julie and Portman have a cult following-one that I am a part of! =D See, at the end of D3 when Scooter kissed her cheek, I was like 'NOOOOOOOO'. I mean, he's a good guy and everything, but he aint no Portman. I love ya baby!! You kick butt!! [Funkie and Cake Eater throw a party!!]  
  
AZNJEDI13: Thankee kindly, ma'am. And when are we gonna see some more fics outta you? You were the first Mighty Duck author I ever read. Once again, with the Julie and Portman loving. Aaah, they are the cutest, really they are. There's no one else Julie could ever be with. Thanks for the reviews!! =D  
  
QTECUTTLFISH: Ah, I am glad you are honest about Donna. I have a friend kind of like her, so I can put up with her. But she is kinda bitchy, I know. Yaay, Amy is being accepted! Hurrah hurrah! And I'm glad I don't have any dull moments going on. I'm always scared I don't have enough going on in my fic, or that it's getting repetitive. I know, ain't I so mean to Guy? I mean, I should give him a cake or something, I'm just awful to him. I will have a drunk Charlie in the fic, just because I love you. Farewell, hunny.  
  
SAMANTHA: I hyperventilate when fics are updated too!! We're like hyperventilation sisters!! Hey hey, Guy IS a god. Our God. Isn't he just the cutest damned thing? I love how is hair sticks up, always like he just woke up and didn't bother brushing it. Well, Averman only told on Guy because he was worried about him. He had good intentions, so it makes it okay. We wouldn't want Guy any more hurt than he already is, right? Because he is a god. Enjoy this part!! )  
  
-------------------------  
  
"God, the wait in these damned places is ridiculous..." Orion mumbled as him and Guy sat side by side in the Children's Hospital lobby. He turned to Guy. "How's your chest feeling?"  
  
"It doesn't hurt too much." Guy said. Orion raised an eyebrow. "No! I'm serious, it really doesn't. I mean, it hurts, but it's not like I'm rolling around on the ground screaming."  
  
Orion smirked as he settled himself more in his chair. "Your ribs probably aren't cracked, Germaine. If they were, you would have been in too much pain to play the last period of the game against Varsity. And you'd be in an equal amount of that pain now."   
  
Guy breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Theeen...what is it?"  
  
"You probably strained the ligaments."  
  
"...my ligaments?"  
  
"Yes." Orion gave him a look. "Your rib ligaments."  
  
Guy seemed startled. "There are RIB ligaments?"  
  
Orion didn't answer as he checked his watch, but he did laugh slightly under his breath. "It's almost five. We've been here for-"  
  
"Well, you took me to the regular hospital, and that took us an hour, and then we waited for two hours, and then they told us to come here, and we got lost, and that took an hour and a half, and then we got here, and we've been waiting here..."  
  
"Four hours." Orion groaned, hitting his head against the wall. "I can't believe it."  
  
"If I started screaming in pain right now, they'd let us in."  
  
Orion shot Guy a stern glare. "Don't you dare Germaine." Guy rolled his eyes. "...although it is tempting."  
  
All the two had had to eat was lunch in the first hospitals' cafeteria, which had only been sandwiches, and by now their stomachs were rumbling heavily.  
  
"You hungry, Germaine?" Orion asked him. Guy nodded.  
  
"God yes..."   
  
"GUY!!"  
  
Orion and Guy looked up to see Donna shooting through the lobby doors, and behind her were all Ducks. Guy evilly noticed that Connie was right behind Donna. Guy looked at Orion, who smiled. "I called them."  
  
Guy smiled back just as Donna came to a stop in front of him, dropping to her knees and giving him a huge hug. "Geezus, Guy..."  
  
"I'm okay, Donna." She pulled away from him, stood up, and smacked him hard on the back of the head as the others came to stand with her. "Ow! Shit, Donna, that HURT."  
  
"You big idiot! You TOLD me you were alright, and I BELIEVED you, when REALLY you needed to go to the HOSPITAL!? UGH!" She crossed her arms. "Pig."  
  
Guy couldn't help but grin. "Aaawww, look who's worried about me."  
  
"Shut up." She snapped, sitting down next to him.  
  
"Guy!" Connie spoke next, pushing herself forward. (Guy swore, she was the shortest person in this hospital...) "Are you okay?"  
  
Guy gave her a soft sort of smile. Connie was worried about him too. Which suddenly made him feel a lot better. "Yeah, it doesn't hurt." Orion coughed, and Guy rolled his eyes at him. "Much."  
  
"Guy, I'm telling you, I'm sorry I told but I had to tell because...well, you know." Averman told him. Guy nodded.  
  
"Yeah. I know. Don't worry about it."  
  
There was a silence, and then Portman spoke. "Dude, if I poke your chest, will it hurt?"  
  
"Of course it will, you twit! So don't try it." Orion snapped. Portman just grinned down at Guy.  
  
"Geezus, Guy, you really get a tough time, don't you?" Many similar comments followed Portman's. 'Hang tough Guy,' 'Keep truckin' Germaine.'  
  
Ken was silent, and him and Guy made eye contact. "I'm fine, Ken."  
  
"You DO get a tough time." Ken mumbled. "Don't you?"  
  
By now, most of the Ducks busied themselves with looking around the hospital, but Connie remained next to Ken, her hand linked with his. She looked at Guy, confused, and then back at Ken. But she didn't say anything.  
  
Next to him, Donna rubbed Guy's back. "Yeah, but...you know, it ain't so bad. I'm fine."  
  
Ken nodded, and then him and Connie walked off, not noticing Portman and Fulton, who had taken the Nurse's Desk post-it notes and were sticking various messages on the walls.  
  
"Germaine." Orion said to Guy, and Guy nodded at him. "You doing alright?"  
  
Great. Guy really wished Ken hadn't chosen that time to ask how he was doing. He understood of course, but still. "I'm fine."  
  
Orion nodded in understanding, gave Guy a pat on the shoulder, and then went to speak to the Head Nurse (who looked very annoyed at the amount of teenagers who were in the lobby.)  
  
Guy turned to look at Donna, who was biting her lip. "You don't have to worry, you know."  
  
"I'm not." She said. Guy rolled his eyes. "Anyway, you'll survive. Just don't push it, you're not Superman."  
  
Donna speak for 'Please don't hurt yourself again, I worry about you.'  
  
Guy leaned forward, and kissed her slightly on the lips. He was about to kiss her harder until he heard Portman. "Yeah yeah, fuck somewhere else, I have to talk to you." Guy pulled away from Donna and they both shot glares at Portman, who grinned. "You're both pretty sexy when you pout like that.  
  
"Shut up, Portman." Guy said. "What is it?"  
  
Portman looked at Donna and cleared his throat. "It's private. Okay?" Guy nodded, and stood up, giving Donna's hand a squeeze as Portman and him moved over to a quieter section of the lobby.  
  
"What is it?" Guy asked.  
  
"I guess you know that Orion couldn't get hold of Jake?" Guy nodded. "Well, I called him on the way here. He told me to tell you that he's bringing your mom too."  
  
Guy was silent.  
  
Then he swore. Very loudly. Just as the nurse called his name. "Guy Germaine." She bellowed, and Guy nodded.  
  
"Hang tough, Germaine. I'll look out for ya." Portman said, looking away. Guy had to smile. The way Portman showed his loyalty was better than anyone else he knew.  
  
As Guy and Orion walked beyond the doors, everyone cheered and called out to him, except for Donna. She was biting her nails worriedly, watching Guy go with a sad expression on her face. "Hey, don't worry Red-head." Goldberg told her. "Your hubby will be back soon."  
  
Donna sneered at him. "Don't call me red-head. And he isn't my hubby."  
  
Goldberg smirked. "Oh, you think you're so tough? Little Miss Bigshot? Well, I'll have you know that I see through you."  
  
"Oh really."  
  
"Yeah. My parents knew your parents. Donna Parks, right?"  
  
For a moment, Donna didn't seem to grasp what Goldberg was talking about, and then she let out a laugh. "Oh my GOD! Greg!"  
  
By now, Charlie was watching. "You two know each other?" Charlie asked. Goldberg nodded. "How?"  
  
"We went to the same summer camp." Donna said.   
  
"You're Jewish?" Charlie asked. Donna shook her head.  
  
"No, I went to my Youth Groups Camp after third grade. Me and Donna go way back to Kindergarten." Goldberg gave Donna a pat on the back as she stood up and gave him a hug.  
  
"I can't believe how exactly the SAME you look!" Donna exclaimed.  
  
"Hey, no reason to talk mean." Fulton said as Portman stuck a post-it on the unknowing Connie's back. Portman and him burst out laughing as Goldberg gave them a glare.  
  
"Very funny you guys." He said.   
  
"Come on." Donna smiled. "Let's go get lunch, we can catch up!"  
  
Goldberg by now looked a little surprised. After all, who would have known that skinny little Donna Parks would grow up to be such a fox? But Goldberg nodded, and then him and Donna started off to the hospital cafeteria.  
  
Silence followed.  
  
"I should meet the rest of Goldberg's camp friends." Luis said, and everyone laughed. The lobby doors burst open then, and in came Jake and Laurine.  
  
They stared about for awhile, Laurine huddled in her jacket, and Jake hurried toward Portman, his face flushed and hazel eyes wide. "Is he doing okay?"  
  
Portman nodded. "Yeah, yeah they just went in."  
  
Jake nodded and hurried to the front desk. Laurine looked nervously around at the Ducks. "Hi Mrs. Germaine." Connie spoke timidly. Laurine peered at her, and then smiled.  
  
"Hello Connie." She said softly, and as if she were talking to a child. "How are you dear?"  
  
Connie smiled back. "I'm...I'm great. How are you?"  
  
Laurine stopped smiling, and she was wringing her hands together in a disturbingly desperate fashion. Her face was drawn in, and her normally pretty features looked worn out. "I don't know these days..."  
  
Connie didn't respond; she didn't know how. In fact, no one said a word. Jake came rushing back to Laurine. "We can go in. Come on now."  
  
Laurine, still in a slight daze, followed him. Connie shuffled her feet, embarrassed that she had said anything. What had Laurine meant by THAT? No one said a word until...  
  
"Who the HELL put this on Connie's back?" Ken said bluntly.  
  
Connie snapped her head around to look at Ken. "Huh? What, what's on my back?...Ken, are you okay?"  
  
Ken rarely got irritated. He was the ultimate Zen. He pulled Connie towards him, and took a post-it note off of her back, reading it out loud. "'This body belongs to the great me, and we share many a nude night together under the stars.'"  
  
Connie turned a bright red, and then darted her eyes to look at Portman, who was trying very hard not to laugh. Fulton finally let out a snort as Ken glared.   
  
"You are such a..." Ken bolted after him, and Portman ran off, out through the lobby doors, Ken following in fast pursuit.  
  
"Well, uh..." Averman ran his hands through his hair. "This has been an eventful afternoon."  
  
----------------------------  
  
When Guy woke up, he could still remember everything that had happened in the lobby, from Donna's kiss, to Connie's face when she asked him how he was. He tried to linger onto the feelings he'd had from both of them, but the idea of comparing the two made his head hurt.  
  
Also, he could remember Adam's words as him and Orion had left the room.  
  
'Guy, don't go pulling this hiding injury thing, okay? You actually have a team where everyone cares about what happens to you. And you don't even see it...'  
  
The words had seemed alien to Guy. Yeah, right, everyone cared about him. He knew Adam meant well, and maybe if Guy didn't have the past he did, he would believe it. But Guy was still paranoid-if they all knew what had happened to him, what Max had done...well, they wouldn't know him anymore.  
  
Guy groaned into his pillow. Why the hell had Laurine come? And why couldn't Guy just suck it up and for once be a good son? For once be a man and look out for his mother? It wasn't that he was mad at her, she just resurfaced all these memories that Guy had recently been so good at hiding. And burying.  
  
He didn't want to think about anything but now, because now was where Jake was. No Max. It was like Max had never existed.  
  
And yet, Laurine was outside. On the phone.  
  
Talking to him.  
  
Calling Max.  
  
And he couldn't do a goddamn thing about it.  
  
"Guy?" Jake asked. "Guy, you doing okay?"  
  
Guy nodded. "Yeah, I'm just...just worried. How late is it?"  
  
Jack checked his watch. "It's exactly 1:30 in the morning. Of course, the team went home awhile ago. Except for the red-headed girl, the pretty one. She was here until nine."  
  
"That's Donna." Guy sat up and groaned. "My girlfriend."  
  
"What happened to Connie?"  
  
"Don't ask."  
  
Jake nodded, and gave Guy a pat on the shoulder. "Well...when Orion gets back, he'll let you know about what's going to be happening to you hockey wise."  
  
Fear rose in Guy's stomach. "Are my ribs cracked?"  
  
Jake shook his head. "Nah. You strained some ligaments or something."  
  
"My rib ligaments?"  
  
"Yeah." Jack whistled. "I didn't even know we HAD rib ligaments." Guy stared at him in disbelief, and then burst out laughing. "What? I didn't!"  
  
"No, it's just..." Guy snorted. "I said the EXACT same thing, like, word for word when me and Orion were in the lobby."  
  
Jake shook his head. "Geeze, Guy. You and me."  
  
Orion came into the room, then, and Guy wanted to snap at him. He felt so lucky every time he had father/son moments with Jake. Because he'd gone years without having a father at all.  
  
"Guy, you wont be playing hockey for two weeks, and three days." Orion said. "I'll be honest. You'll be missing a lot of practices, and four games." Orion took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."  
  
Guy took a moment to absorb what Orion had just said. Then he swore. Orion and Jake didn't say anything about it as Guy slammed his fist into the mattress. "God damnit..." Guy choked, his head resting on his knees. Jake slipped his arm around Guy's shoulder, and Guy slipped into his father's arm.  
  
"Germaine, I know how you feel. But...you can't play until you're healed. You're lucky your ribs weren't cracked or broken. That would have been six weeks." Orion told him.  
  
Guy nodded. "Yeah I just...I dunno."  
  
"You can help out with coaching until you can play again. You're expected to be at every practice and every game, understand?"  
  
Guy looked up at Orion. Despite the man's harsh tone, it was obvious that his thoughts were on his injured player. Guy smiled. "I understand."  
  
"And don't you go keeping injuries from me again, Germaine." Orion nodded at Jake, and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you sir." He turned to leave and then looked back. "You have a fine son."  
  
When he left, Guy felt choked up, and cursed. "I'm turning into a girl."  
  
Jake laughed. "No you ain't. And I already knew I had a fine son." Jake grinned at him. "A great kid." Then, breaking up another father/son moment, Laurine burst into the room.  
  
"Guy, sweetie!" She said. God, Guy couldn't get over how worn out she looked. And suddenly he felt more protective of her now than he ever had before.   
  
"Hi mom." Guy said, kissing her cheek as she hugged him.   
  
"You never call." She said.  
  
"I'm busy."  
  
"Too busy for your mother?"  
  
Guy sighed, and Jake saved the situation. "You should see the work load Orion puts on these kids. God, it's unimaginable." He patted Guy's back. "He'll be calling you a lot more soon, Laurine. Right Guy?"  
  
Jack's first father order. Guy nodded. Reluctantly.  
  
"I called Max, Guy." Laurine said. Guy didn't say a word. "And he'll be coming down to see how you are."  
  
Breath caught in Guy's throat.  
  
Then his stomach hurt.  
  
And then he threw up.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Ken had never slept in the same bed with a girl before. But here he was, in bed with Connie.  
  
They hadn't done THAT, of course not. But Connie had been sick with worry over Guy. It wasn't because of Guy's condition, she had said. It was because of how odd and unhappy Laurine had acted.   
  
"I feel like something's been in front of me...and I haven't been a good enough friend to see it." Connie had sniffled into Ken's shoulder.   
  
Ken had told her that she was a great friend. One of the best friends Guy had. Told her she didn't have to worry. Connie had kissed him forcefully, pulled him on top of her.   
  
But Ken pulled away. Not wanting a moment where Connie was sad to be a make out. That wouldn't be fair to her.  
  
So now she was sleeping. With him, on his bed. Both fully clothed, Connie wore one of his huge button up shirts over her own T-shirt, and she was clutching to him, her arms wrapped around his middle.  
  
He looked down at her, and pushed some strands of hair away from her forehead.  
  
Ken knew how Connie felt. He was worried about Guy. Really worried about Guy. Yet, he was angry at himself because he was also jealous. It was obvious that Connie still had feelings for Guy. Strong ones. She'd shown it.  
  
Ken wanted to hit himself. It wasn't the time to be jealous-Guy was having a tough time. He'd always had a tough time. And Ken should have been trying to help him. Instead, he was acting like a jealous nobody.   
  
He was always a nobody.   
  
His girlfriend still cared about her ex, who was one of Ken's best friends. Ken was disgusted with himself for not understanding Guy better.  
  
"Kenny?"  
  
Ken jumped when he heard Connie speak. He looked down at her. "Why are you awake? It's..." He looked at his digital clock on the bedside table. "Three in the morning."  
  
"Same to you." She said, snuggling closer. "We'll sleep in tomorrow, skip morning classes."  
  
"But I have-"  
  
"Shush." Connie rested herself slightly on top of him, on his chest. "Ken, what's wrong?"  
  
How did she know him so well? No one ever asked Ken what was wrong because Ken hid it so well. But then again, it was dark. She couldn't see his face, which he knew hid how he was feeling. It must have been..."What?"  
  
"You've been awake this whole time, haven't you? What's wrong?"  
  
Ken didn't say anything. He let his head fall back on his pillow, not looking at her. It was dark. Too dark to see.  
  
Now Ken knew how Guy felt all the time. Like you were drowning and no matter how hard you tried to pretend nothing was wrong, it didn't change the fact you couldn't breath.  
  
"Ken?"  
  
"You still...god, I'm a jerk."  
  
"No you're not, Ken! What IS it?"  
  
Her voice was pleading. She was too good for him. Too damned good for him. "You still...you still care about Guy. You want him. Not me."  
  
There. He'd said it.  
  
In all it's selfish, asshole glory.  
  
Connie didn't say anything. All he could hear was her breathing. Then he felt her lips on his. Ken tried to push her away, talk to her, but she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down, kissing him harder.  
  
Then she pulled away. Ken was breathless. And he needed a cold shower. Badly.  
  
"Connie..." Ken breathed.  
  
"Ken, I really, really, REALLY like you. Okay? You're...amazing. And Guy will always be my first boyfriend. But...but he's not you. All I know is that when I think of the person I want to be with, it's you. He's my friend. But I can't be around you without wanting you to hold me or kiss me." She rested her head on his chest. "But you never do."  
  
Ken gulped, and wrapped on arm around her. "I don't show affection in public." Ken mumbled. "I'm sorry...I'll try."  
  
"You're fine the way you are, Kenny." She whispered. "Okay?"  
  
Ken was silent. He kissed her forehead, and didn't say anything else. He wasn't sure whether to believe her or not. But he was determined not to think about himself anymore. He refused. It was too much.  
  
His mind drifted. Connie was on his brain. And now he knew what Guy meant by falling, because now he was falling for Connie. Ken was falling in love and he knew he wouldn't be able to tell Connie so for a long time.   
  
Also, Guy was on his brain. And Ken swore he would be there for Guy. He knew what had happened to him, and Ken refused to back out of anything. Guy was his friend. First, and more than anything, Connie and all, Guy was his friend. And Guy needed him because Ken knew.  
  
So Ken would be there.  
  
END OF PART 30  
  
(I truly hated this chapter. It could have been so much better, but noooooo. Anyhow, I hope SOMEONE Likes it, even if it sucks. Sorry!) 


	37. Mouth Full

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine Part 31: Mouth Full By Funkiechick  
  
(No time for shout outs-I'm not done my Bio homework. But here's the update, thank you all for pushing me to finish it =D because without you I doubt I would *ever* update.  
  
Anyhow, school HAS started, so updates will not be of the frequent sort, but I'm really doing the best I can. But it'll all work out, so enjoy this chapter and I hope you like it.)  
  
--------------------  
  
Guy's ribs hurt.  
  
It was hard to concentrate on Coordinate Geometry when you really, *really* wanted to fall over and clutch your chest. He figured that would look odd to the rest of the class, but it was how he felt.  
  
This could have a lot to do with how pessimistic he was at the moment. He'd been checked out of the hospital two days ago, and his mother was still promising a visit from Max. Who had yet to make his appearance. Not that Guy was counting the days or anything, because he sure as hell wasn't. Still, though, his mother had called his dorm this morning, insisting that he come to meet her at Tony's-an Italian restaurant in town. She said Max was meeting them there.  
  
Guy knew this card. Max would pay for a big expensive dinner and try and make everything aaaallll better. Fuck him. That was all Guy could think of. But he promised Laurine he'd go, so he would. Besides, it wasn't like he had any other plans.  
  
Donna had some sort of Socialist Rally coming up, and Musical Theatre rehearsals didn't start until Friday. And Guy was doing a great job of avoiding his homework lately.   
  
"Mr. Germaine?"  
  
Guy glanced up. He hadn't noticed before how much his math teacher looked like a bullfrog. "Yes?"  
  
"Are you paying attention."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Can you answer that question on the board?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Can you, Mr. Germaine?"  
  
"To be fair..." Guy mumbled. "I don't think *anyone* can answer the question on the board.  
  
Moments later, Guy was sitting in the hall with a detention slip stuffed in his left hand. God...did teachers really expect him to concentrate when his abusive step-father was coming into town and he wasn't even allowed to play hockey to take his mind off of anything because of his weird, sprained, fucking ribs?  
  
God, this was a bad week.  
  
A really, really bad week.  
  
--------------------  
  
It was hard to stay focused when Julie started lecturing. Mainly because she got so enthusiastic and peppy and really annoying. She meant so well, but half of the people in the room with her didn't seem to be motivated by anything she said-just suicidal.  
  
"So!" Julie continued. They were all stuffed inside of Julie and Connie's dorm room during lunch. Julie had ran around tracking everybody down. "Since Guy is having a really tough time right now, I say we throw him this surprise party next SATURDAY, this way, he'll have all of Sunday to do his homework, and it wont be on a week night-"  
  
Julie had this *thing* with weeknights and homework.  
  
"Julie." Connie said weakly. "Guy wont care what day it's on-I say we give him the party as soon as possible."  
  
"I say I'M in charge!!" Goldberg exclaimed. "It was MY idea!!"  
  
Julie let out a laugh. "YOU? You don't even do your HOMEWORK on time, I doubt that you'd be able to..." She glanced around. Everyone was looking at Goldberg as if he was the messiah. "To..."  
  
"All those in favor of Goldberg in charge, say 'Aye'." Averman announced.  
  
"AYE."  
  
Julie looked very sad and dejected. She loved pep talks, and she never actually got to *do* them. Fulton gave her back a pat.  
  
"It's okay, Cat, you'll end up doing everything anyway. We just don't want to listen to you."  
  
Julie punched his shoulder. "Thanks a lot, tool."  
  
"Welcome." Fulton grinned. "By the way, Scooter's a dick." Julie punched his shoulder again. "Oh come ON, Cat, he IS. Why the hell don't you just forget about him and be with Portman? You both want each other. It's so obvious."  
  
"Because he's an ass." Julie replied. "Scooter is nice to me and Portman isn't."  
  
"He's plenty nice to you."  
  
Julie put her hands on her hips and dropped her voice to a whisper. "If you haven't noticed, Connie and Guy are OVER. Because they couldn't get along and because they kept secrets from each other. Portman kept secrets from me, and we don't get along, and I don't want to end up like Connie and Guy."  
  
Fulton stared at her a moment before shoving his hands in his pockets. "You already have."   
  
Then he walked over to Portman, who was pulling Connie's hair. Fulton kind of wished Portman was doing something manly so Julie could see what she was missing, but then again, this was his best friend he was talking about. Portman always did idiotic things.  
  
Julie huffed, and folded her arms before turning on the unsuspecting Charlie and Adam, who were looking over the cost of party favors.   
  
"Me and Portman are NOT like Connie and Guy!!" She snapped, and stormed out of the room.  
  
Charlie and Adam looked oddly at each other. "Why does our hockey team have to be a soap opera?" Charlie complained, going back to the total estimate of just how much they could spend on Guy's surprise party. "I mean, everyone wants each other. It's relieving to know that at least you and me keep our interests outside of the Ducks."  
  
Adam started coughing.   
  
--------------------  
  
Watching other players skate laps was depressing.  
  
Guy used to complain about it, but really, now that he *couldn't* skate laps and be whistled after by Drill Srg. Coach Orion SIR, he really really missed it.  
  
His day had had some positive input-Donna had kissed him in front of some Varsity guy who'd been hitting on her, he got an A on his Science test, and Connie was wearing tight pants.  
  
He knew he shouldn't be happy about two girls, one of which kissed him and the other wearing tight pants, but he figured he could do whatever the hell he wanted because Max was so close and Hockey was so far.  
  
"Guy!" Averman skated up to the box as Orion was distracted with Luis-who had slammed into the boards and wasn't moving. Albeit some twitches. "Guy, my man, you are my best friend."  
  
Guy snorted, and grinned. "What do you want?"  
  
"That hurts." Averman put a hand to his heart. "How can you assume I want something."  
  
"Because I know you." Guy smacked the back of his head. "Serious, I owe you."  
  
Averman blinked. "You do?"  
  
"Yeah. You told on me. if you hadn't, they said my ribs would have been broken within two weeks."  
  
"Huh." Averman paused, then grinned. "You DO owe me! That makes this so much easier!!"  
  
Guy crossed his arms and rested his elbows on the top edge of the box. "So, what is it?"  
  
Averman turned red and looked down at his hockey stick. "Well uh...you have Science this term, right? With Mr. Fratmen?" He started to scratch patterns into the ice with his skate. "You know, third period?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well..." Averman glanced up at him, then shot his eyes back down to his skates. "Do you know a girl named Amy Wetler?"  
  
Guy raised an eyebrow, and grinned. "You got a girl, Averman?"  
  
"No!" Averman's voice cracked the moment he said this, and it was also a little loud, so he looked over his shoulder to make sure Orion was still occupied. He was. Luis had started to sing. Probably had a concussion. It was funny because Averman felt more sorry for Orion than he did for Luis. He turned back to look at Guy. "She's not my *girl* I just..."  
  
Guy grinned, dragging out the meaning of Averman's words on purpose. "You just what?"  
  
"Listen, is she in your class or not?!" Averman burst out.  
  
Guy laughed again. "Settle down, I'm just messing with you." He cracked his knuckles. "Uh...what's she look like? I think there's two Amy's in my science class."  
  
"She's short." Averman held his hand up to just above his shoulder. "'Bout yay high...and she has really short brown hair..."  
  
"Oooohhh." Guy nodded. "She's the one with the rack."  
  
"GUY."  
  
"Well she *is*."  
  
Averman punched his shoulder. Hard. "Don't say that, you sound just like a Varsity ape."  
  
Guy sighed. "Okay, sorry." Averman glared. "Really, I am. I was just kidding around."  
  
"Good." Averman nodded his head. "I know you're above being an ape."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"SO uh..." Averman fiddled with his thumbs. "Do you think you could talk to her for me? I met her the other day and she's super nice and really funny and maybe a prospect in the Averman world of love. So..."  
  
"So you want me to be your pimp?" Guy said innocently.  
  
"Yes, but don't make any business transactions. Just ask what she liked about my services."  
  
Guy nodded his head. "Sure."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Anything for my main whore."  
  
"This is such an inappropriate conversation." Averman shook his head, feigning disgust. "I love it."  
  
Then he skated off to laugh at Luis, because he'd started singing showtunes, and Portman looked torn between singing along or laughing too. Then Luis got the words to "Surrey With a Fringe On Top" wrong, and Portman just looked mad.  
  
"It's "CHICKS and geese and duck better scurry, dumbass! Not Mice! Not freaking mice!!"  
  
Guy laughed and his ribs ached. He winced and put his hand up to his side, clenching. The doctor had told him he'd be in pain for awhile. It amplified when he was hungry, and the hunger not only caused him more ache rib-wise, but reminded him that he had to go in an hour and a half.  
  
Out to dinner.  
  
With his mother and the asshole.  
  
He had to be civil, he knew that. For his mom. He kind of knew how she felt. Laurine wanted so badly for Max to 'turn' into a good guy and they could just be one big happy family. Guy knew what that was like. In the back of his mind, he kind of wished Jake and Laurine would fall back in love and his mother wouldn't be such an unhappy, timid wreck anymore. They'd be normal.  
  
In a way, Guy was pushing himself to sound more like a teenager. Like what he'd said about 'Amy'. He shouldn't have, obviously. It had made Averman mad. Luckily, Averman knew him better than that. But all Guy wanted right now was to be normal.  
  
He knew that was impossible. He wasn't normal, not at all. He never would be. But at least when Max was gone, he could pretend.  
  
"For godsake, Mendoza, get the hell UP." Orion shoved Luis with his foot. Luis was laughing now-the whole thing had been a joke. And everyone else was laughing too. Another reason Guy hated Max.  
  
He wanted to laugh. But he couldn't. Nothing seemed funny anymore.  
  
Max made everything remotely happy stop.  
  
This time, Guy didn't know what would happen to him. He didn't know if he'd go into one of his 'moods' or if he'd just break down all together. Either way, he supposed he just had to go and take it and hope that no one was hit and no one would cry and he could just eat.  
  
He made a mental note to order the most expensive thing on the menu. Appetizer, main course, dessert AND coffee.  
  
'Take THAT Max.' Guy thought bitterly. 'I'm not letting you into mom and me's life without a fight. I can get you good and broke and then you'll have to run off and get a job in Tahiti and we'll never fucking see you again.'  
  
"Germaine!" Orion called from the ice. "You said you had to be out of here by a quarter after?!" Guy nodded. He knew if he spoke, he'd start spouting off at a fantastic rate about what an asshole Max was and how much he wished tonight was never going to happen.  
  
But Guy nodded again instead.  
  
"Alright, you better head off." Orion checked his watch, and blew his whistle into Luis's ear as the hockey player stood up from his joke on the ice. Luis let out a loud swear and fell to the ice-this time *actually* not moving.  
  
"Bye Guuuuuuuyyyyyy-" Averman skated by him, backwards, racing away from Connie, who's stick he'd just stolen. Connie jumped at him, and Averman shoved her, hard.  
  
Connie tripped over her skates and came tumbling over the board, into Guy.  
  
Averman laughed, pointed, and Guy decided that this was most likely planned by the evil red-head; he knew that comment about Amy's chest would fly back into his face.  
  
Or on his chest.  
  
Where Connie was.  
  
Guy gulped.  
  
"Ouch, Jesus *Christ* Averman!!" Connie exclaimed, pulling herself up, not giving it a second thought. Guy, for some reason deciding to be slightly insane for a few moments, grabbed her wrist and pulled at her slightly, keeping her on top of him.  
  
He didn't know why he did it, but for a second, Connie didn't look too unhappy when she glanced down at him.  
  
Then she punched his shoulder.  
  
"Ouch!" Guy snapped, pulling his hand up to clutch his arm. "That HURT."  
  
"Don't be a dick." She mumbled. "I'm with *Ken*. Averman did that because he's an idiot."  
  
Then Miss. Connie Moreau hoisted herself up and jumped out of the box in a very huffy manor that Guy just found unnecessary. Guy brushed himself off, and shot a grin at Averman, who grinned back cheekily. "Bye everyone!"  
  
"See ya Germaine." Portman whapped the top of Guy's head as he skated by, holding Julie's helmet over his head. Julie followed a few moments later, grumbling angrily, but giving Guy a slight wave as she went by.  
  
Guy shook his head, cast one more look at the practice, and then made his way out of the rink, his spirits dampening with every step. He kept trying to convince himself it was only one night, only a few hours...he knew that he was slowly inching towards another one of his phases. But he wouldn't let that happen.  
  
So Guy sucked it up, and continued back to his dorm to change.  
  
--------------------  
  
"Guy."  
  
Even when he said his *name* Guy wanted to punch him. That probably wasn't a good sign...what if he was inheriting his tendency to knock people's lights out? But he couldn't inherit anything from Max...because Max wasn't his real father anyway. He never was and he never would be.  
  
He really wished he had Jake with him right now.  
  
"Hey Max." Guy replied, pulling his mother's chair out. Max raised an eyebrow as Laurine sat down, smiling at her son. She would have looked pretty, clad in a black dress and fake pearl earrings. But she was so worn down these days that she hardly ever looked human.  
  
They all took their seats, and Guy jumped for the menu; he purposefully hadn't eaten all day. He was hungry as hell. Hungry for expensive things. The waiter, a tall, slightly goofy looking boy that seemed about eighteen, came up to their table, flipping through his little notebook for a fresh page.  
  
"Can I start with calamari AND a large salad?" Guy asked.  
  
Max's eyebrow twitched. "I *suppose*."  
  
"Oh, I wasn't asking you. I was talking to..." Guy looked at the waiter's name tag. "Charles. Can I call you Charlie?"  
  
"Uhh...sure-"  
  
"Great," Guy cut in. "So, Charlie, can I get like, a full plate of calamari, a side plate with bread and bruschetta and Brea and another plate with a green salad to START with?" Guy didn't know what half of what he was ordering actually *was*, but that was irrelevant. It was expensive.  
  
Charles was jotting this down in his notebook. "Oookay...and to drink?"  
  
Max broke in. "They have a fabulous red wine. You could start with that, if you wish."   
  
Oh, so Max was going to play at the 'I trust you with alcohol' game, was he? Not on Guy's watch. "I'll have water, thanks."  
  
Guy drummed his hands lightly on the table as Laurine asked for a salad to start and Max ordered his main course strait off the bat; a grilled steak. Why go to an Italian restaurant to get STEAK? He kept sending irked expressions at Guy's drumming fingers on the tabletop, but Guy ignored him and made a fake cymbal crash on an imaginary cymbal.  
  
"Guy," his mother said. "Guy, Max has something he'd like to tell you. It's about...well, about your ribs and hockey and all sorts of things." She desperately turned to Max. "Right, dear?"  
  
Dear?  
  
Guy looked over at Max, not saying anything, waiting for Max to venture into the silence first. He did. "Well, Guy, as you know, I wasn't able to make it to the hospital. I had things to do."  
  
"It's okay. Dad was there." Guy shot back. Laurine sighed.  
  
"Well, I'm here now, and he isn't." Max gave Guy a smug grin. "And now that you seem out of your Hockey game, I was wondering if you'd like to work for me."  
  
"...'work' for you?"  
  
"Max owns a computer store just downtown!" Laurine explained, smiling away. "Oh, it's lovely, Guy, he started it all up on his very own. He's very...very sorry about the way things have been over the past few years. And now here he is, like he always said, ready to make it up to us!"  
  
Guy barely listened to his mother. He just kept staring at Max. "I'll be playing hockey again in like, three weeks tops. I don't need a job."  
  
"Well, what about during those three weeks?"  
  
"I still have to be at all the games." Guy trailed his finger along the rim of the table. "And practices. And I still have school and shit. I don't have time."  
  
"Don't swear, Guy." Laurine corrected automatically.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Well, I have a position full and open and I've been holding it for YOU." Max replied, sounding tert and irritated.  
  
"Well, I don't need it. _Sorry_."  
  
Laurine broke in, sensing the growing tension. "But that's...well, that's not all we wanted to tell you Guy," she put her hand on her son's, smiling away still. Though now it seemed forced. "Max and I are going to try again. And a relationship."  
  
Guy, for some odd reason, wasn't surprised at all.  
  
"Ah." Guy nodded. "Okay."  
  
"We expect your full support," Max's voice boomed out to him. "Do you understand."  
  
"And mom will get my full support." Guy snapped back.  
  
Slowly, things started to sink in. Laurine was going to give Max another try. She'd be giving him more and more tries as life went on, and Guy couldn't do anything about it. She was a weak woman. Guy was more than anything angry at himself, because he wasn't trying to convince her she could make it without Max.   
  
But Guy was still so scared of doing anything at all. So he just...didn't.  
  
He didn't want to talk to either of them anymore. He was lucky, because his appetizers had arrived then, and considering how much food was there, he wouldn't have to talk too much at all.  
  
--------------------  
  
Jesse hated phones. Particularly now.  
  
Here he was, home alone with Tammy, and the fucking phone decides to ring. It wouldn't seem so bad to anyone else, of course, but they didn't know Tammy Duncan. Making out with that girl was impossible to do because she...well, she never let you do it.  
  
He'd been so *close*. They were on his couch, watching movies and arguing about the plausibility of Claire and Bender actually getting together (Did the Ducks watch anything BESIDES The Breakfast Club?) and then Jesse started tickling her and...well, you know what happens when a boy tickles a girl. The guy ends up on top of her and they end up staring at each other.  
  
Jesse had been leaning in for the kiss when the phone had rung.  
  
He swore and hoisted himself off of her (he *had* to answer, because his parents were out and it could have been them calling) and grabbed the phone. "HeLLO?" He growled, and Tammy shoved his leg with her foot.  
  
"Jesse?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"It's Guy."  
  
"You *fucking asshole*."  
  
There was a pause on the other end, and then Guy replied. "Is this a bad time?"  
  
"Well, if you count me *finally* getting Tammy in a dark room on my couch and you calling just at that moment a bad time-"  
  
Tammy kicked him again. "Shut UP, ass!" Jesse grabbed her foot and pulled her towards him, causing Tammy to squeal.  
  
"I'll call you back later then, don't worry about it." Guy said, but his voice didn't sound as if he really wanted to hang up. Guy sounded almost...pleading.  
  
"Nah nah, what's up? She can go like, make more popcorn. Hey," Jesse faced her. "Make more popcorn."  
  
"Why?" She wrinkled her nose.  
  
"Because, I gotta phone call. Please?"  
  
Tammy rolled her eyes and made her way out of the living room, into the kitchen. Jesse went back to the phone. "So."  
  
"Are you two together now?"  
  
"Somewhat. Well, we could have been if you didn't call," Jesse picked at a loose string at the bottom of his jeans. "You have some timing, hat boy."  
  
"I'll call back later, don't worry about it."  
  
Jesse stopped toying with the frays on his pants. He knew that tone of voice. "What happened?"  
  
"No, I-"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"...mom and Max. They're getting back together."  
  
Jesse sat up straight, crossing his legs. "You're *kidding* me."  
  
"I kid you not."  
  
"When did this happen?"  
  
Guy continued, his voice sounding normal again; without a trace of his monotone, depressed sound. "You know I like, screwed my ribs up right?"  
  
"What!? No-"  
  
"Well I did, so I wont be playing hockey for like, almost three weeks, so Max shows up with Mom and they take me to dinner and Max apparently started his own business." Guy paused. "And he owns a computer store. And he tried to give me a job."  
  
Tammy re-entered the room them, a bowl of popcorn in her hands, but Jesse shooed her away. She made an angry face, flipped him off, and stormed out of the room. "So, what, he's trying to buy you back now?"  
  
"Yeah, well, I got the most expensive things on the menu," Jesse snorted and Guy continued. "Anyway...yeah, they're getting back together. And I wanted to talk to someone. But it's okay, if you have Tammy over..."  
  
"Nah, it's fine," Jesse paused. "Has Bombay told you yet?"  
  
"Told me what?"  
  
"That I'm coming to Eden?"  
  
"No!! When did...goddamnit, that's awesome Jess!!"  
  
"Yeah I..." Tammy had come back into the room, and sat down angrily on the couch, turned the movie back on, and started eating her popcorn, glaring at Jesse rather than watching the screen. Jesse rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be there for the next Semester."  
  
"Are you gonna be on the team?"  
  
"I have to send a tape to Orion. I might." Jesse shrugged and grabbed a handful of popcorn. "Tammy's coming too."  
  
"You're kidding!"  
  
"Yeah, your Figure Skating Division sent her this like, huge package full of forms, begging her to come. Then Bombay told me she was and convinced me to go too."  
  
Tammy pulled the popcorn away from him, and Jesse stuck his tongue out at her as Guy replied. "Jesus, it'll be so good to see you."  
  
"Screw me, are you doing okay?"  
  
"Not bad."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Jesse finished up his handful of popcorn, held out his hand and Tammy gave him another handful. "You promise?"  
  
"I just had to...tell someone. I'll let you know if things go bad.  
  
"Okay, Guy."  
  
"That's GUY?" Tammy exclaimed. "Oh oh, tell him I say hi! Tell him I can't wait to see everybody!! And tell him-"  
  
"Tammy says hi." Jesse said in a monotone voice to Guy. Guy was laughing.  
  
"I heard...tell her I say hi back."  
  
"Will do."  
  
"I'll talk to you later, okay? You two have fun."  
  
"Hang tough, Guy."  
  
"I will."  
  
Then Guy hung up, and Tummy was poking at Jesse while he pressed the off button on the cordless and threw it behind the couch. "Jesseee, why didn't you tell me Guy was on the phone?"  
  
"Shut up." Jesse replied, and pushed her back onto the couch. Tammy shrieked, but started laughing as Jesse poked her stomach and the popcorn bowl tumbled to the floor. He leaned in to kiss her, but the phone rang.  
  
"FUCK." Jesse snapped, and grabbed the cordless from behind the couch. "Hel-LO?"  
  
"May I speak to Marianne?" Jesse was silent. "Hello?"  
  
"You have the freaking wrong goddamned number you ass!" He slammed the phone down on it's cradle, and turned to Tammy. "NOW-"  
  
Then he heard the front door unlock, and his dad's voice "Jesse! I'm home!"  
  
Jesse groaned and fell backwards on the couch as Tammy burst out laughing.  
  
END OF PART 31  
  
(I'm home sick right now, and I'm in a HUGE Mighty Ducks mood. So I'm gonna get started on Part 32 right away! Hope you all liked this! See ya!) 


	38. Thickens

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
  
Part 32: Thickens  
  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Again, no time for shout outs. They'll start up again, I swear to god they will!! Really! Now, you better all enjoy this. Heeee, I am so tired...I'm on a huge MD kick, it's just hard to get them all typed up in time. Anyhow, I couldn't go to class today because I felt uber sick, so I got on the computer and write away I did. Part 33 is almost done, should be up tomorrow or maybe tonight. No joke. Love you all!)  
  
--------------------  
  
Guy tapped his pencil on his Bio textbook, observing Amy Wetler. He'd been doing so for the past fifteen minutes, and never before was he more convinced of a better choice for Averman.  
  
Granted, he'd never really scouted girls for Averman, but Amy really was perfect for him, as far as he could tell.  
  
She was a gigantic klutz. In the course of fifteen minutes, she'd dropped four science beakers, two tubs of frog guts, and set off the fire extinguisher. The teacher really seemed to hate her.  
  
She *was* kind of cute, but not really Guy's type. But then again, he was scoping her out for Averman.   
  
Finally, when she was between destroying periods, he made his way over to her, still fidgeting with the pencil in his hand. She was furiously cleaning up her binder (she'd just spilled her grape juice) and didn't notice him.  
  
"Hey." He said, clearing his throat afterward.   
  
She glanced up, and Guy was scared she was going to hurt him or something because she tripped forward a little, but then she composed herself and smiled. She had one *huge* smile.  
  
"Hi." She said. Guy opened his mouth to continue, but she beat him to it. "You're on the hockey team, aren't you? Do you know Les Averman?"  
  
Wow. She sure was on top of things. "I was...*just* going to ask you about that, actually. Uh...he...well, you know. I bet you probably already know you had this flirtation thing going on."  
  
"We did?"  
  
Uh oh. "Or...not."  
  
"Oh I'm so GLAD." She slapped her hand on the desk. "You let him know that my favorite movie is 'Some Like It Hot', I can't do anything remotely well, and he can call me aaattt..." She was writing something down furiously on a piece of paper. "THIS number. Thanks! What's your name again?"  
  
"...Guy Germaine."  
  
"Ooohhh, the cute one! Well, the OTHER cute, after the Caption and the guy who stripped in the box."  
  
Guy wanted to run away.  
  
"Bye!" She smiled, and went back to cleaning up the grape juice. Guy nodded, and went back to his desk, blinking slightly, and shoving the phone number into his pocket. Averman really couldn't have picked a better match.  
  
"Guy." Russ asked, walking by him his own desk, which was by Guy's. "Dude, who's *that*?"  
  
"Averman's potential girlfriend." Guy answered. "I have just supplied a phone number, and...well, and the fact she's very...very odd."  
  
Russ glanced over at her. "She's got a nice rac-"  
  
"Averman'll kick your ass if he heard you saying that." Guy supplied, but grinned. "She's pretty funny. They'll work together."  
  
"You mean she's a smart ass too?"  
  
"More like a...really...strange girl."  
  
"Oh." Russ shrugged. "Guess you'd have to be. ANYWAY." He stared head on at Guy. "Are you free this Saturday?"  
  
Guy shrugged. "Yeah, to my knowledge, unless Donna wants to do something. Why?"  
  
"You are coming to see a movie with me and Julie and Adam and Charlie. Sound good?"  
  
"Sounds fine." Guy shrugged. "What time?"  
  
"We'll get you from your dorm at like...five, and then we'll all head over to the theatre together."  
  
Guy groaned. "I wish I could drive."  
  
"I know it." Russ shrugged. "So, see you Saturday?"  
  
"We're on." Guy nodded, and then the bell rang so he started rapidly shoving his binder into his backpack so he could get to his next class on time. He stood up to walk out with Russ, but saw the boy was already rushing out of the room; probably had a long way to his next class. Guy shrugged. "See you, Russ!"  
  
"Yep!" Russ called over his shoulder as he left.  
  
Meanwhile, as he filed out of the room, Russ grinned and gave the thumbs up to Julie as he rushed by her. Julie smiled. Good, the surprise party was on. Now she had to make sure that Scooter could drive them...  
  
She felt bad about getting her boyfriend to drive them places but not actually get *invited*. But Scooter had just been so sweet about it...and speak of the devil, there he was, walking out of his Chem class. Julie fixed her hair, and hurried over to him, poking him in the side.  
  
Scooter whirled around, and when he saw her, his face broke into a grin. "Hey Julie." He grinned, giving her a kiss. "Hey, is Saturday still happening? I need to tell dad when I have the car."  
  
Julie nodded. "Yeah, pick us up at five ten." She smiled "Thanks again for driving us. It sucks lacking a license."  
  
Scooter nodded and moved in to kiss her again, but Julie shifted her head. she had this *thing* with too much public affection. "No problem." Scooter answered, as if nothing happened. "I'll see you after school doll, okay?"  
  
Julie nodded, and waved goodbye as she shuffled past him for the stairs. It always felt weird kissing Scooter in public. He felt like part of her schedule. 'Monday, math, kiss Scooter's cheek, go to Bio, check to make sure you can get your spare filled next year with Advanced History, wave at Scooter before lunch'...  
  
Boyfriend's weren't supposed to be like agendas...were they?  
  
--------------------  
  
"Guy is coming." Adam supplied Charlie in between classes. Charlie had his jacket on, and his back pack hoisted over his shoulder. "So, uh, we'll pick him up and where are you going?"  
  
"I'm skipping Math!" Charlie said brightly. "Wanna come?"  
  
"I thought we had to keep our grade point average up..." Adam said weakly as Charlie started towards the staircase. Adam followed him anyway.   
  
"Yeah, but, I don't want to go to math today, and one class isn't going to kill me, especially since I have an A minus anyway." He shrugged, and smiled, which Adam found very cute, annoyingly so. "So, you wanna come?"  
  
"...is Linda coming?"  
  
Charlie shook his head. "Nah, she'd kill me if she knew I was skipping. I can hear her now. 'Charlieee, you have so much potential...'"  
  
Hope sprung in Adam's heart. As lame as it sounded. "You two having problems?"  
  
"Kinda...not really, she just nags sometimes, y'know?"  
  
Adam nodded faintly. "Well...I only have history, so I'll come. We just have to stop by my locker first. And if Coach finds out about this, we're dead, so we have to make sure he doesn't."  
  
"Please, you have an A average, you and Julie got the highest marks on the team. There's nothing to worry about."  
  
Adam was fidgeting with his shirt sleeve. "Okay, uh...my...my locker is downstairs. We have to take the far stairwell though so my teacher doesn't see me."  
  
Pure lie.  
  
The longer the stairwell, the longer the time with Charlie...  
  
"Sure." Charlie shrugged.  
  
Lucky for him, Charlie wasn't always too bright; *nothing* was by the far stairwell...  
  
They walked down the hall together, and Guy was passing by them and he gave Adam a grin. "Skipping, eh?" Adam shrugged. "I totally see through you."  
  
"Shut up." Adam snapped, and Guy laughed as he waved at them and continued down the hall. Charlie raised an eyebrow as Adam muttered something about 'idiots with hippy hats' under his breath.  
  
"Why, what did he mean by that?" Charlie asked, sounding bewildered.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"But he-"  
  
"Hey, I'll buy you lunch."  
  
Charlie grinned and immediately Guy was gone from his mind. "Yeah, great! I'm so broke. I forgot how loaded you were."  
  
"Oh ha ha."  
  
"No really, you're like, Bill Gates or something."  
  
"Stop it." Adam smiled, fondly, and put his hands in his pockets. "Come on, let's just go get lunch okay? It'll be fun. Like old times, before all of this tension built up between us."  
  
Charlie looked offended. "Oh come ON, Adam, I know I was a shit when you were on Varsity, but I thought we were over that!"  
  
"We are."  
  
"Then...what are you talking about?"  
  
Adam shook his head. "Never mind. come on. You wanna go grab club sandwiches and clam chowder. Your favorite?"  
  
"Yeah." Charlie grinned as he made their way down the stairs towards the doors. "How do you remember those things?"  
  
"You know me."  
  
"Man, you're gonna make one chick so super happy one day. You'll remember like, her birthday and what exactly to get her and the anniversary of your first kiss and all that cheesy stuff."  
  
"Oh yeah." Adam coughed. "What a *lucky* girl."  
  
--------------------  
  
When Guy stopped Connie from coming out of Science, she had to admit she was a bit nervous and maybe flustered. Mainly because of how he had acted when she went flying on top of him-against her will-during practice the Saturday before. It was funny; they'd been broken up for quite some time now, and still the tension between them could go from fine to horrendously bad.  
  
So she was plenty pissed at herself when she realized Guy hadn't stopped her to beg for her love.  
  
She was also plenty pissed at herself for wanting him to. She knew she cared about Ken, and she sure as hell wasn't about to break up with him anytime soon, and she didn't want to be with Guy, really. But she didn't want him to like anyone else either.  
  
She would never admit this to anyone because even SHE hated how that made her sound.  
  
"Guy." She raised her eyebrows. He hadn't let go of her shoulders yet. She'd been walking out of the class room and he'd just ran up and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her going 'Connie, Connie holy shit!' over and over.  
  
"Jesus Christ! You are going to freak so freaking much and then we'll cheer." He smiled at her and finally let go of her shoulders, causing her to slump down slightly since he'd almost been lifting her clear off of the ground.  
  
"What?" She asked, smiling a little. "What, what is it?"  
  
"Guess."  
  
Connie shoved him. "I *hate* guessing games, you know that."  
  
"Yeah but..." Guy made a frustrated noise. "Okay, it has to do with Jesse. That's all I'll give you."  
  
Connie bit her lip. "Uuuh...okay, has to do with Jesse. Is he coming to visit?" Guy shook his head. "Okay...did him and Tammy hook up?"  
  
"Sort of. But that's not it."  
  
"Okay...uh..." Connie shrugged and shoved Guy again. "I don't KNOW, just TELL me. I suck at this!"  
  
"Yeah." Guy nodded. "Yeah, you really do. You just took ALL the fun out of that for me." Guy shoved her shoulder and grinned. "Jesse Hall is...drumroll please."  
  
Some random guy walking by in the hall starting making drum roll noises and Connie and Guy made odd faces before Guy continued.  
  
"Jesse's coming to Eden."  
  
Connie stared, and then a large smile spread across her face. "Oh my GOD, are you serious?!"  
  
The bell rang for next classes and so the halls were soon swarmed with even more students. Both of them pressed against the lockers quickly before continuing.  
  
"I called him the other night, and he said he was coming for the next semester. And so is Tammy, so it'll-"  
  
"This is AMAZING." Connie jumped up and down, grinning ear to ear. "Ooohh, I haven't seen Jesse in SO long, we just talk on the phone and it's not the same because I miss him SO much and he kicks SO much ass and why didn't he TELL me!?"  
  
guy stared, unsure of which comment to agree with, and whether or not he should answer her question. "I dunno, because he's Jesse? He never makes a big fuss about anything."  
  
Connie snorted, but then reconsidered. "No wait, I guess he did..."  
  
"Did what?"  
  
"Nothing." She said quickly, then grabbed Guy's shoulders. "Oh oh, is he trying out for hockey??"  
  
"He doesn't know yet, but-"  
  
"Guy!" She jumped up and down. "This'll be like old times! With you and me and Jesse and we can hang out and be assholes like we always did! It hasn't been the same since he didn't come!"  
  
guy didn't bring up the fact that him and Connie had broken up and *that* wasn't the same either, or the fact that she seemed to think they could go back to old times without the awkwardness, because Connie went on tiptoe and hugged him around the neck, still laughing and smiling and muttering stupid phrases and sentences under her breath.  
  
So Guy hugged her back, tightly, and they both just started talking at a fast pace about Jesse and how awesome it would be and how much they missed him.  
  
At that moment, Ken was hurrying by to go English.  
  
And when Ken turned a little to the right to find a pathway through the crowd of people, he saw Connie's face, over Guy's shoulder, and then he saw them hugging each other, both looking deliriously happy about something.  
  
He stared. She didn't see him.  
  
Ken knew not to jump to conclusions and he knew there was a perfectly logical explanation, but he still couldn't help but feel worried because...well, his girlfriend and her ex were currently hugging, tightly, and smiling away like they'd just found an elixir for eternal life.  
  
Unfortunately, Donna was much less understanding, and she jumped to far more conclusions, so when he saw her stare open mouthed from her classroom across the hall, Ken had to hurry over to keep her from attacking Connie.  
  
"Donna!" Ken exclaimed. "Donna, Donna, it's not what it looks like!"  
  
"How the hell do YOU know?" She snapped, without looking away from Connie and Guy. Ken sighed.  
  
"Because Connie's my girlfriend and she wouldn't do that. They're happy about something, don't jump to conclusions. I mean, the guy can't play hockey, I don't think he's gonna go cheating on you to make his pain worse than it already is. Besides, they're just friends."  
  
Donna crossed her arms. "Ugh, I'm so freaking grumpy today. I swear, I just...didn't want to see THAT."  
  
Ken smiled slightly. "Well, they're friends. So I guess you'll have to deal with it."  
  
"I'm going to class." Donna snapped. "Talk to me when I'm NOT going through PMS. And tell Guy not to talk to me today."  
  
Then she turned and left and Ken had to admit that at that precise moment, he really wished he had the capability to be a moody ass. But instead he knew that it was nothing. nothing but Guy and Connie being...well, Guy and Connie.  
  
So he walked on to class and decided to try and pretend that he hadn't seen a thing. Which wasn't so bad. Because he trusted the both of them.  
  
That actually made him feel a lot better. Trusting people put you in a lot better mood than suspecting them.  
  
--------------------  
  
Connie rushed down the hall, rapidly searching for Julie, who she knew had spare at that time. Connie technically had Study Hall, but she barely went to that class anyway and she still had a B in it. the teacher was half asleep all the time, so she didn't notice when Connie insisted on not needing a note because she'd 'been to every single class'.  
  
Anyhow, Connie was running about, looking for Julie, and skipping Study Hall to do so, thus she was really hoping Julie wasn't doing something idiotic during her spare; like *studying*.  
  
She finally found Julie in the courtyards, eating an apple and reading a book, looking very pretty in her jeans and simple tee-shirt, her hair blowing free. Connie snuck up behind her and poked her back sharply.  
  
Julie shrieked and flailed her arms about as she turned around to see who it was, and then smiled and kicked jokingly at Connie when she saw her. "Thanks a lot, dork!" She snapped.  
  
"YOU'RE the dork." Connie shot back, sitting across from her. "Guess who's coming to Eden Hall starting second semester?"  
  
Julie blinked at the suddenness of the topic. "Uh...I don't...know, I-"  
  
Connie was horrible at keeping secrets. "JESSE!"  
  
Julie broke into a cheer. "SERIOUSLY?"  
  
"Seriously!! Guy talked to him, he said he was coming down with Tammy. Oh, you don't know her." She said quickly before Julie could ask. "She was on the team waaay back, but quit for figure skating. She's coming too, she has a big figure skating scholarship and Jesse is coming because he loves us and he misses us."  
  
Julie made a squeaky noise. "God, it'll feel more like the Ducks. The more originals we get, the better. He's playing hockey, right?"  
  
"I'm not sure. He better. I really hope he does." Connie clapped her hands. "Oh my GOD this will kick ASS. Jesse and Guy and I used to be SO close. It was always the three of us, all the time. Then things got..." Connie made a face. "Stupid and...and stupid, but it's okay now because Jesse is kind of with Tammy and oh my GOD this will ROCK."  
  
Julie stared. "I didn't catch any of that."  
  
"Don't worry about it." Connie shrugged. "Jesse was just being a tool at one point, but we dealt. It went well. So now Guy and me and him can be friends again."  
  
Julie sighed as Connie pulled her legs up onto the punch and tucked them to her chest. Being short paid off, you could fit anywhere. "Connie, things wont be normal like *then*."  
  
"I know that." Connie replied. "It'll just be nice to have one of my best friends back, and me and Jesse and Guy will have to hang for old times sake. You know?"  
  
Julie gave her shoulder a pat. "I know, Connie. You just have to remember not to lead Guy on. You do that sometimes."  
  
Connie stopped smiling. "What did you say?"  
  
Julie, realizing what she just said and how wrong she said it, started to backtrack. "I...I mean you just...sometimes you don't...I...Sorry, Connie, I didn't mean that. You just sometimes seem to forget that Guy likes you still I guess I dunno I don't-"  
  
"He has a *girlfriend*. I think he's coping just fine. Besides, he's still my friend, I can still hang around him. what are you accusing me of?" Julie started to reply, but Connie cut her off. "Do you think I'm a slut, is that it?"  
  
"No, I just meant-"  
  
"You know what, I'll talk to you LATER when you're not in this mood. If you have something you have to say it to me, say it to me tonight when you know how the hell to say it. I just wish you'd give me more of a head's up when I'm apparently leading someone on."  
  
And with that, Connie stormed off. For someone so little, she sure could be scary.  
  
Julie groaned and pulled her legs up to her chest, letting her head fall down on her knees. "Julie, you're an IDIOT."  
  
"I totally agree!"  
  
Julie shot her head up and saw Portman standing in front of her. was she really that surprised? "Can I help you?" She snapped. "And shouldn't you be in class?"  
  
"I just got a spare." Portman informed. "I dropped English 10."  
  
"What?? Why?"  
  
"I took it already in Chicago. I sure do kick ass."  
  
"YOU took a course, EARLY?"  
  
"Yeah?" Portman shrugged. "So? At my old school there, you weren't allowed spares, so they made us fill all of our blocks and that was the only other thing I wanted to take. So I dropped it here, 'cause I already took it, and now you're stuck sharing spare with me."  
  
"GREAT." Julie huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm excited, really, now you can add to my WONDERFUL day."  
  
Portman snorted. "You're a real brat to me now, you know that?"  
  
"You're an ass to me!!" Julie shot back, turning around to face him. "Listen, I just don't-"  
  
"Cat." Portman grabbed her shoulders. "Would you listen to me? RELAX. You're like, completely insane and acting like a total dork." Julie stared at him, and tried to shrug him off and pull away, but Portman kept a tight hold on her shoulders. "RELAX, Kitty."  
  
"Don't call me that, Portman." She sighed, slumping a little. Portman rolled his eyes.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I like it."  
  
*That* had caught him off guard.  
  
Portman, not really knowing how to respond, just raised his eyebrow very slowly and refrained from hitting on her, and simply said "...oh." Julie hung her head, and let out a long sigh. "KittyyyyyyJulie." Portman corrected himself. "Come on, what's your problem?"  
  
"Everything, kind of." Julie shrugged. "I dunno, it's stupid, Portman, don't worry about it."  
  
"You brought it up, man."  
  
"I know." Julie sighed, the snorted. "Ugh, I know I KNOW, I'm so MAD at myself because I'm stressed and being completely bitchy and mean for no apparent reason. Connie is mad at me, you and me can't even talk anymore, and I...I just...I can't even feel like the Ducks want me around when I'm being such a little anal freak."  
  
Portman stared, as students filed past them obliviously, but he still the only thing he focused on was Julie (that was usually the case when she was around.) "Jules..." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Don't be stupid. No one thinks anything bad about you."  
  
"You do."  
  
"When did I say that?"  
  
"We've been doing nothing but scream at each other for the past like, two weeks."  
  
Julie looked down at her nails, and picked at the last scrap of blue, sparkly nail polish that she'd pathetically drawn a top of them the other night to get her mind off of things, as stupid as it sounded. Julie usually liked anal things like neat nails and new shoelaces. Stupid, small things.  
  
Things that Scooter didn't know about her, but Portman did.  
  
And she couldn't concentrate in class, because she was always so tired.  
  
"I'm tired, Portman." Julie sighed, flopping her head to the side a little. "I want a BREAK. That's all."  
  
Portman didn't say much. He kind of stared at her, and finally gave her knee a squeeze. "Hey, you know, I don't hate you, Julie man. you know that."  
  
"I guess..."  
  
"You *guess*?" He sat up. "Cat lady, don't be an idiot. You know why I don't like Scooter, you know why I'm arguing with you. Because I dig you."  
  
Julie turned a little red. "Portman-"  
  
"You'd have to be pretty stupid not to notice, Julie." He shrugged. "Big surprise."  
  
"Oh shut up." She punched his shoulder. "I'm being serious."  
  
"So am I."  
  
Julie glanced at him, still blushing. "...I'm sorry I'm with Scooter, Portman. I really am. I don't want to, but I do. And you just...you just didn't seem like you cared enough."  
  
Julie really wished she wasn't looking at Portman. Because now she was trying to forget that Scooter existed so she could kiss him and feel relaxed and safe, but then caught up in reality and remembered how bad he'd messed up.  
  
But then reminded herself that he hadn't messed up that badly at all, really.  
  
She couldn't kiss him.  
  
She couldn't.  
  
But she didn't have much time to think at all, because Portman kissed *her* instead.  
  
END OF PART 32  
  
(SCANDAAAAAALLL) 


	39. Mommy, Dearest

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
  
Part 33: Mommy, Dearest  
  
By Funkiechick  
  
(I am sooo bad at shout outs...they'll make another appearance sooner or later, mark my words.  
  
Oh oh, Belle7. You big doll. Thanks for those hilariously cute reviews, and for oh so many of them. this chapter is for you suga.  
  
Denverhockeygirl, I hope everything is going to be alright. Hugs for you and your boy. He's lucky to have you.)  
  
---------------------  
  
Phones should be shot. That was now, officially, going to be Guy's motto.   
  
Why his mother would be so stupid as to give his dorm room phone number to Max was beyond Guy, but she did, and now Guy was stuck with having to actually talk to Max against his will.  
  
If he hung up, then Laurine would get all heartbroken and it'd be Guy's fault again, so he figured he'd have to suck up conversations with Max on the phone. Because Guy was sick of moping around and being full of angst. He figured he was going to suck everything up from here on out.  
  
"How's school?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"You have a girlfriend?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What's she like?"  
  
"She's alright."  
  
"Do I get to meet her?"  
  
"I dunno."  
  
That didn't mean he couldn't create as many awkward pauses as humanly in possible in the process though.  
  
"Well...you'll have to come down and see me at the store."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Don't make this difficult, Guy."  
  
"Why shouldn't I?" Guy's throat tightened. "I have no reason *not* to."  
  
"People change."  
  
"No they don't."  
  
There was more silence. Finally, Max cleared his throat and Guy could feel the conversation, finally, coming to an official end. Really, it had been over long ago. "Well, I better go."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"See you soon."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Then Guy hung up before any other words could get out and ruin things. He sat, staring at the wall, and finally attempted to swallow every single emotion that was running through his head right now.  
  
With a satisfaction, he realized it worked.  
  
Guy whistled, happy, and then was even more happy when he saw that his homework was all finished. And now he was in a good mood. It was odd because...well, he'd just talked to Max and all, but...well, hey. He was in a good mood now, wasn't he?  
  
He refused to get down anymore. From now on, if something was shitty, he wouldn't show it, and eventually, he wouldn't feel it.  
  
So, with a great air about him, Guy threw open his dorm door and decided he was going to go make out with Donna. Or something like that. Because he wasn't going to think about Max.  
  
Nope.  
  
He didn't care.  
  
"I really don't care at all..." Guy nodded, continuing down the hall.  
  
It was the best lie he'd ever told himself.  
  
--------------------  
  
"You're acting funny." Donna said, her nose wrinkled, as she and Guy walked out of the movie theatre hand in hand. "You've been acting funny all day."  
  
Guy, a grin still very much on his face, shrugged. "How so?" He didn't say anything when Donna let out an irritated snort.  
  
"I don't *know*, you just..." She searched her mind for the words, looking impossibly cute, and Guy had to grin at her. "DON'T smile, I'm being serious."  
  
"Fine, fine..." Guy threw his arm around her shoulder. "Okay, so I've been acting funny. How am I acting funny?"  
  
"You're overly cheerful, I guess. But-" she stopped him before he could interrupt. "Not in a natural good way. In a weird...non-natural bad way."  
  
They stepped outside of the theatre, and Guy checked his watch as he started towards the bus stop. Donna shoved him slightly. "Geeze, what?" Guy snapped a little.  
  
"Would you stop acting...weird? Because when you act weird then...then, then I know something is up with you, and if something is up with you, I really want to know, because you're my boyfriend, and I should know when something is up with you. So stop being a weirdo *freak* and just TELL me why you're acting dumb."  
  
Guy, for the life of him, really couldn't find a way to respond to THAT. He only stared at Donna, who's hair was clashing with the orange hat she was wearing, and she was wearing shapeless, unflattering jeans, and still her face was just so pretty and her rudeness was so in the right place that...well, she just looked perfect to him.  
  
"Donna, I'm..." Guy stared up at the sky, where clouds were forming and looking gray, and quickly looked back down to her because he didn't want to look at anything gray. "I'm fine, okay? Just small things with Max, and I'm just trying not to think about it. So...I'm fine."  
  
"Okay..." Donna nodded a bit. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah." He took her hands in his, leaned forward. "Yeah, I'm sure."  
  
"Because if you're not-"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"I could-"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Guy kissed her, and that, sure enough, did indeed shut Donna up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and deepened the kiss.  
  
Then they were honked at, because they were standing in the parking lot.  
  
After hurrying to the sidewalk, Donna smiled at him, her huge pretty smile, and so Guy didn't have to pretend so hard to feel better because now that Donna knew a little, and that she was worried, he really did feel better.  
  
--------------------  
  
"Look, look." Averman grinned as he elbowed Guy's side, and pointed off towards the ice. Guy glanced up from his homework, and saw that Orion was yelling at Portman and Julie. Again. "When Orion gets mad, I swear, smoke comes out of his ears."  
  
Guy laughed, and then lowered his voice. "What'd they do?"  
  
"Julie threw the puck at him."  
  
"...why?"  
  
"I dunno. He probably said something that made her mad." Averman nodded at Guy. "Note that Portman seems to do that a lot."  
  
"Well, yeah." Guy shrugged. "I dunno, I thought they weren't fighting anymore. Your skate is untied."  
  
Averman shrugged him off, and glanced down at his skate. "I'll tie it in a sec, but serious, Guy, what's with this team? Why can't anyone get along for more than a day? Sooner or later, we all kick the shit out of each other."  
  
Guy's eyes widened in surprise. "You think that's TRUE? No, no way, Averman, don't be an idiot. We're all just...tense right now, that's all. Don't worry about Julie and Portman."  
  
"And you and Connie." Guy shot him a look. "Okay, okay, NOT you and Connie. But still, come on, it was a lot better back in the old days. When none of us had puberty as baggage."  
  
"I dunno." Guy erased at a math problem, realizing just HOW BAD he was at the subject as he scribbled out what he hoped was now the correct answer. "I mean, yeah, sometimes I wish we had the old times back, but new times aren't horrible. Just..." Guy looked up, and shook his head, not really knowing what to say. "Different."  
  
"Ssssh, shhh." Averman whapped Guy on the head. "Orion is coming over."  
  
"I wasn't DOING anything, don't 'sshh' me."  
  
Averman just stuck his tongue out as their coach skated furiously up the sidelines and next to Averman. "Les Averman!"   
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Just because my back is turned for one second DOESN'T mean you can go and slack off. And tie up your skates!"  
  
Averman turned a little red, and then skated off without a word...and tripped over the laces from his skates and went flying onto the ice. Orion tried to ignore this as everyone else cracked up.  
  
"Guy." Orion said firmly. Guy nodded. "We have a game on Monday. Can you make it?"  
  
"Uuh..." he shrugged. "Yeah, yeah I can. Why?"  
  
"I need you to keep on eye on Dean and Julie." He nodded his head in the two's direction. They were glaring at each other. "If I find they're personal feelings are leaking out onto the ice, you have to watch out for it, alright?"  
  
Guy almost choked. Yeah, like he was about to get involved in *that*. "Uh, sure...yeah, sure..."  
  
Pure lie.  
  
"Good." Orion gave his shoulder a pat. "Don't worry, you'll be back on the ice in no time."  
  
Guy just nodded his head as Orion blew his whistle and started barking orders at the team. Averman was still lying on the ice, and Goldberg was skating circles around him.  
  
"Hey hey, carrot-top, I don't think you notice, but your laces are untied."  
  
"I KNOW."  
  
Guy just shook his head and went back to his homework. With great reluctance. Jesus CHRIST he hated math...  
  
"Hey hey."  
  
Guy glanced up over his shoulder, to see Jake standing there, holding a bag from Wendy's and two drinks. Guy's face broke into a grin. "Dad, hey! I thought you had work tonight?"  
  
"I did, but I got off early." Jake pulled up a chair next to him, and set the Wendy's bag down. "Ryan had some loose ends to tie up with my new position and he said I didn't have to be there, so I just left and..." he opened the bag. "Bought us the best food in the world."  
  
Guy laughed and reached inside. "A bacon cheeseburger...Dad, you kick ass, I'm not kidding. HEY!" Guy called out onto the ice. "LOOK! I have a bacon cheese burger and you know what you all have??" Guy paused. No one said a word. "NOTHING!"  
  
"Uh, Guy, that might be a bit-"  
  
Jake stopped talking as Guy hungrily bit into his cheeseburger. After a moment of silence, he decided to do the same thing. "Thanks for bringing me dinner." Guy said, his mouth full. "Look, Charlie hates me now."  
  
Jake laughed at Guy's glaring team mate. "It might have been when you taunted them with your food."  
  
"Nah, couldn't be."  
  
Jake chuckled as he took another bite of his burger. "You wanna catch a movie tonight or something?"  
  
"Yeah." Guy pushed his binder away. "Then I can get away from the anti-Christ that is Math."  
  
There was more silence, and Guy hoped something wasn't wrong with Jake, because he really wasn't saying much. Guy just concentrated on chewing, and eating, and marveling about how good fast food actually was. And he hoped to god nothing was seriously wrong.  
  
"Guy, uh..." Jake chewed a bit more. "I know since...since Max is around your mother again that...things are a little hard for you. Is uh..." now he was wiping his hands on his napkin, not looking at Guy. "Is everything alright?"  
  
Guy rolled his eyes. "Everybody keeps asking me this."  
  
"Well, then, maybe you should answer."  
  
"I have!" Guy finished off his burger, and then dug into the bag for some fries. "God, I'm fine. And I don't want to talk about Max or mom or anything like that. God..." he stuffed some fries in his mouth. "Just...give it a rest, serious. I'm fine."  
  
Jake laughed slightly, shaking his head. "No you're not."  
  
"Yeah, I-"  
  
"Guy, I know you because you do the same things I do sometimes." Jake took a sip of his drink. "You're pretending you're fine, and you really seem to think that if you pretend, things'll go away. But they wont. So don't try."  
  
"I'll try if I want to." Guy grumbled. "Is that root beer?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Give." Guy snatched the other drink away from Jake and took a huge swig after removing the cap. "God, people are nosy."  
  
"Because they care, idiot." Jake ruffled his hair, hard. "Don't push people away, it doesn't help."  
  
Guy rolled his eyes. "How would you know?"  
  
"Because," Jake said matter-of-factly. "I pushed you and Laurine away for almost twelve years. How in any way did that help me?" He pushed his drink away, and started doodling on Guy's homework with his pencil. "God, Guy...it's amazing you wanted to meet me at all. I was an ass."  
  
"No, dad..." Guy sighed. "You weren't an ass, I understand, I just-"  
  
"Guy, it wasn't cool of me to just avoid you for so long. I mean, I called, I sent things, but...Guy, look at me." Guy had started to turn his head, started to look for an exit. "Guy, don't ever do that. I'm so glad that you and me could still have this relationship, because...because you kick ass, kid. And I love you. But I do know that pushing things and people away always kicks you in the ass. If I'd been a better dad, we could have been this close a lot sooner."  
  
Guy didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to really focus. It felt like all he'd been doing lately was...well, everything but being a teenager. And he hated that.   
  
"Dad, I don't hold anything against you." Guy said. "If I were you, I would have gotten as far away from mom as humanly possible. I know what she's like."  
  
"Guy, don't blame this all on your mother." Jake's shoulders hunched, and he suddenly didn't look so young. "Everything that went wrong between her and me...well, I know how childish this sounds, but I started it, Guy. And if I had been able to...well, be a good boyfriend, she wouldn't have left me and maybe she wouldn't even have met Max. so..." he turned to face his son, who still wasn't looking at him. "Guy, I'm...I'm sorry."  
  
Guy just shook his head. "Don't be an idiot. This isn't your fault. Max is an asshole. He always will be. This has nothing to do with you."  
  
"I suppose..." he started fiddling with the straw from his drink cup, the doodling now abandoned. Jake had the attention span of a sesame seed. "I just want you to know, Guy...pushing things and people away, like I said...it doesn't...it doesn't help none, so just don't do it."  
  
By now, the practice was coming to an end, and the time was ticking away; it was almost eight o'clock. Guy, more than anything, wanted a subject change. "We better go if we want to catch a movie, dad."  
  
Jake stared at his son, not sure whether he should be startled, because really he hadn't expected Guy to open up. So of course Guy didn't. Guy didn't do that too often. He liked to keep things simple. "Sure, Guy, right...sorry."  
  
"Yeah, no problem." Jake checked his watch, and at that exact moment, so did Guy. Jake laughed and Guy smirked. "Ready to go?"  
  
"Yeah,...dad?"  
  
Jake stood, taking the garbage from the Wendy's meal with him. He glanced at his son while he tidied up. "Yeah?"  
  
"It's...nice that you care, okay? I just don't want to...think."  
  
They shared a long look, which was broken by the noise that came from the Ducks as they all filed off of the ice. Still, Jake wouldn't break the gaze, but Guy still felt as if the spell was broken because so many other people were in the room.  
  
"Sure, Guy." Jake put his hand on his shoulder, and then pulled away. "Anything you need-"  
  
"I know."  
  
"Hey, Guy!!" Russ greeted, skating up to the sideboard. "You still on for the movie tomorrow night?"  
  
It took a moment for Russ's comment to register, then Guy grinned. "Oh riiiighht. Good thing you reminded me, I completely forgot. What time again?"  
  
"Uh..." Russ squinted as he thought. "Jesus, I forget." Russ craned his neck to look over his own shoulder. "CAT-LADY!!!"  
  
Julie had been taking off her gloves while skating away from the net, and she jumped when she heard her nickname called. With an annoyed expression, she made her way over to Russ, Guy and Jake. "What?" She snapped.  
  
"Lovely mood you're in." Russ smacked her back.  
  
"Shut up. Portman was being an jerk." She sniffed. "What is it?"  
  
"What time is the movie tomorrow?" Guy asked. "I totally forgot I was even going anywhere with you guys..."  
  
"Movie..." Julie looked confused. "Oh. OH! Right, movie. Um, well, me and Russ'll pick you up at like, five o'clock. We have to stop by Adam's house, though, to pick him up."  
  
"Okay." Guy smiled. "I'll see you guys then. Me and dad are gonna go to a movie. Talk to you later."  
  
"See ya." Jake nodded is head as him and Guy collected the rest of Guy's things and walked out of the box through the back door. Julie and Russ watched them go before Russ turned to Julie and glared at her.  
  
"What?" She asked obliviously.  
  
"You know, you and Portman are getting REALLY annoying," Russ shook his head as they finally started to make their way off the ice towards the locker rooms. "Why can you just settle everything already?"  
  
"Mind your own business!" Julie snapped.  
  
"Cat-lady, you're one of my best friends, thus, everything that happens to you IS my business. Automatically." He smiled. "Not many people are so lucky."  
  
Julie let a small smile trail across her face, but then just shook her head and crossed her arms. "Listen, Russ, it's just stupid, okay? There's no problem, we're just arguing. Everything's fine."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Duh." She smiled this time, really smiled. "Thanks for worrying though. You love me so much."  
  
Russ let out a laugh. "You wish!" Julie laughed as well, and they were still joking around by the time they got in the locker room.  
  
--------------------  
  
Guy let out a long yawn as he flopped onto his bed, still wearing his coat and shoes. He was so tired he could hardly stand it. Then again, it was a good kind of tired...when you knew you had had a nice time, and didn't really know how tired you were until you were home and the evening was over.  
  
Him and his dad had had a nice time. They'd laughed and eaten three tubs full of popcorn. The tension from their earlier conversation had washed away by the time the movie had started, and really, Guy had forgotten about it until now. And he was too tired to care. Much, anyway.  
  
He checked his clock. Almost eleven. Ken was fast asleep, his books and clothes piled neatly on a chair for the next morning. They didn't even have school tomorrow and he had his books ready for homework. Sometimes, Ken amazed him.  
  
Guy finally hoisted himself up from the bed, but only so he could get into his pajamas. When he had finally settled into the sheets and his head was nested comfortably in his pillow, the phone rang.  
  
At first, Guy wasn't sure if he was hearing things or not, but then Ken groaned and started muttering something about wanted to kill phones. Guy sighed. "Don't get up, I got it," he muttered. Ken didn't hear; he was back asleep again.  
  
Guy groaned as he reached for the phone. "H'lo?" he mumbled in a tired voice.  
  
"Guy?"  
  
"Yeah, it's late...who is this?"  
  
"It's ME."  
  
"...oh. Hey mom."  
  
"I'm sorry to call late...I'm so so so sorry to call late..."  
  
Guy was slightly more awake now. The tone in her voice was...scary. He leaned up on his elbows. "Mom? Mom, are you okay?"  
  
"I don't know where Max went...he...he just said he had to go out and he hasn't come back and he was gone for so long that I know he could just up and leave me at any moment because he could do so much better and I tried to call Colleen, but I couldn't get hold of her and I didn't know who else to talk to but you-"  
  
She was babbling. Guy could barely hear a word she was saying. He didn't even want to hear, but right now, he was too worried to even think about what he wanted. "Mom, are you at home?"  
  
"Yes, I-"  
  
"I'll be right over, okay? I'll be right over."  
  
"You promise? He always promises things and he never pulls through-"  
  
"Mom!" Guy snapped. "Mom, I'm not like Max, I'll be there. So don't do anything stupid, okay? I promise, I'll be there as soon as I can."  
  
"Okay...okay..."  
  
"Mom? Mom, I love you, okay?"  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"I do...I'll see you soon." Guy hung up, and quickly jumped out of bed. He grabbed his jeans, which had been thrown on the floor, and threw them on over his boxers.   
  
"Guy?"  
  
Guy glanced over his shoulder. Ken was awake now. It was dark, but he could already tell that Ken was looking at him in that way...that way that said how sorry for him Ken was.  
  
"I gotta go see my mom. She's...freaking out." Guy sighed. "Don't worry, I'll catch a bus."  
  
"Do you want me to come?"  
  
"No." Guy pulled on his shoes. "I'll see you later, okay?"  
  
"Guy, don't-"  
  
"I have to." He opened the door, and slammed it behind him, louder than he intended. God, more than anything, why did he feel like his mother was the child and he was forced into the adult role?  
  
No, impossible. Guy was no adult.  
  
He hurried down the steps of the school and out into the parking lot, hoping to take a shortcut to the bus stop. It was past eleven o'clock, he wasn't even sure if the buses ran this late. But he had no choice. What else could he do?  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Guy turned around, and with a grimace, saw that the Caption of the Varsity was just getting out of his red sports car. "Eric." Guy said in a snappish tone. "None of your business."  
  
"It is if I tattle." Eric grinned, walking up to him. "My father IS the Dean, you know."  
  
"This has nothing to do with you. So just mind your own business." Guy turned to walk away, but Eric grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "Fuck off!" Guy snapped, pulling himself away.  
  
"I'll fuck off once I know what the hell you're doing." Eric glared. "For all I know, you could be-"  
  
"What I have to do doesn't affect you, asshole! Let me go!"  
  
"What's your hurry?"  
  
"My MOM NEEDS ME, you goddamn..." Guy just shook his head. "God, why do you care? Just let me do my own fucking thing. If I don't hurry..."  
  
Eric's face suddenly got a different expression, one that Guy couldn't really describe. Because he had no idea what it was. "Your mom? What's wrong with her, is she sick?"  
  
Guy wasn't about to tell what Laurine's problem was, but he had to leave as soon as possible. "Yeah. She's sick. So I have to go."  
  
"Dude, I'll give you a ride." Eric turned to his car. "Come on."  
  
Guy stared suspiciously at him, and Eric shrugged. Finally, with desperation, Guy hurried toward the car and let himself in the passengers seat. Eric started it up, and before Guy knew it, he was driving down the free-way in Eric's car.  
  
He'd never have believed this.  
  
They were silent for the beginning of the ride, except when Guy was giving directions. But finally, as they were getting closer to his house, he had to ask. "Why are you doing this?"  
  
Eric shrugged. "It's about our parents. Not us. I like my mom. I'd want to get to her. I'm just cutting you slack."  
  
"What's in it for you?"  
  
"Nothing. It doesn't mean I like you. My mom is sick too, I understand."  
  
They didn't say anything else after that.  
  
--------------------  
  
It was dark. Not a surprise, since Guy's house was well outside of the city and it was very late by the time they got there. But he wasn't really thinking about the distance or the time-he was just hoping his mother was sitting in her room, moping, instead of...out doing something foolish.   
  
He had no idea what Laurine was capable of these days.  
  
Eric was still out in the car as Guy rang the doorbell. Why hadn't he brought his key? Why hadn't he been thinking?  
  
He rang it again, and finally, just when he was ready to bang the thing down, it slowly creeped open, and he saw her, standing in her pajamas, looking frightfully skinnier than he remembered her. Or maybe he just hadn't been looking enough.  
  
"Mom..." Guy mumbled as he made his way inside, closing the door behind him. "Mom, are you-"  
  
"He isn't going to come back..." Laurine's voice shuddered. "Whenever he leaves, he never comes back."  
  
"No, no he will, mom. I'm sure it's just business or something. And he came back this time, didn't he? Don't worry, he'll come back and everything will be just fine."  
  
He didn't believe it, but he wanted her to feel happy. Laurine just started to sob and collapsed in Guy's arms, clutching him close, holding him really, for the first time in...since Guy could remember.  
  
"Mom, it'll be just fine. Even if he didn't come back, which he will..." he sighed, and stroked her hair. "Even if he didn't, you have me, right? I could come live with you. I could get a bus to Eden every morning, and I could see you every day because I'd be here. So it'll be just fine."  
  
"Don't live here, Guy..." her voice quivered. "You'd just hate me more."  
  
"Mom, I don't hate you..." Guy sighed into her hair. "I don't hate you, I just...don't get you." He pulled away for a moment, to look at her face, cupping it in his hands. "You could do so much better than Max, mom..."  
  
She was still crying, and finally said, in a voice full of...something that wasn't her, finally just mumbled "No I couldn't."  
  
Guy wasn't quite sure what to say.  
  
END OF PART 33  
  
(I get to go serious now. Poor Guy. \ 


	40. Hate Party

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
  
Part 34: Hate Party  
  
By Funkiechick  
  
(Okay, I have a heavy Bio test coming up, so I wont be updating until that's done and over with. Otherwise, my marks rock right now. Fuck Bio, I say. =D Anyhow, you'll probably all get this on Thursday or something. buh bye.)  
  
--------------------  
  
The sunlight peered through the window, and Guy squinted slightly and attempted to roll over to shield himself from the light-didn't work. Plus his ribs were killing him, he must have slept on them funny...  
  
None the less, he had to check on his mother. He hoisted himself up from the couch, and glanced around. She wasn't in sight, but then again, the clock said noon. She was probably awake. Guy groaned and walked groggily into the kitchen, and then felt his eyes almost pop out of his head. Standing there, with a cup of coffee in his hand and the newspaper in the other, was Max.  
  
"What are you doing here?!" Guy exclaimed. Max looked over at him easily, as if he'd known exactly what Guy would say, and took a sip of his coffee.  
  
"I live here."  
  
"But you weren't here last night! Mom was freaking out!"  
  
"I had to work late." He took another sip of coffee. "I talked to her. She's sleeping now, she barely got any last night. You should have put her to bed."  
  
Guy stared, open mouthed, and Max just sipped some more from his coffee mug. "You were LATE? And I should have put her to SLEEP? FUCK YOU."  
  
Max's expression changed to one of disbelief, and he *stared* at Guy with a horrific expression. "WHAT did you say to me?"  
  
"Fuck you! That's what I said!! You come home late, I have to dry all of mom's fucking tears, and you're telling me that I was the one who did something wrong??!!"  
  
"DON'T TALK THAT WAY TO ME." Max bellowed. "I'm your-"  
  
"You're not ANYTHING." Guy snapped. "Mom is-"  
  
"Oh, Guy, please don't shout, it's so early." Laurine entered the room, wearing a nightgown, looking as if she couldn't remember the night prior. At all. "What's all this?"  
  
Guy snorted. "'What's all this'?? Is THAT what you just said??"  
  
"Well, Guy, really-"  
  
"Oh god, you're kidding me." Guy put his hands on his forehead, running them through his hair. "You were sobbing like a freaking baby last night, mom, and you're asking me why-"  
  
"Guy, I did nothing of the sort." Laurine snapped, giving him an eye.  
  
Guy couldn't really believe it.  
  
Weren't adults supposed to know what the hell to do with their own lives? Why was it that when Max was actually around, he was all she cared about?  
  
Finally, Guy just swallowed. "I have to get back to Eden."  
  
"How will-"  
  
"I'll get a ride."  
  
And Guy was out of the house again.  
  
--------------------  
  
Sean yawned slightly as he flipped through a Rolling Stones magazine, Led Zeppelin blaring in the background from his stereo, and the satisfaction of knowing that he had absolutely nothing to do that day.   
  
He kind of liked being the college drop out who's only claim to responsibility was his band and the ability to not crash his van when he went out drinking. And he and Connie were still close as brother and sister as they could ever get, which was pretty close.  
  
The fact of the matter was, Sean was in that happy place for college drop outs where everyone gave up trying to send you back to college.  
  
Then the doorbell rang. He didn't hear it really at first, but then the song ended so the excessive ringing was impossible to miss. He groaned, stood up, and took the ten drudging steps to the door.  
  
He opened it, and was more or less, a little taken aback to see Guy Germaine, his sisters best friend/boyfriend/whatever standing in the doorway.  
  
"...Guy. Hat-boy." Sean ran his hand through his hair. "What's going on?"  
  
"...I need a ride."  
  
Sean blinked, woke up slightly. He was still kind of hung over from the night before. "Uh...where and why?"  
  
"School. Because I have no way of getting back there..."  
  
"Do you realize this will take like...more than an hour?"   
  
Guy ducked his head. "Sorry...I shouldn't have asked, I'm gone,"  
  
"Naaahh," Sean waved his hand. "You're my sisters boyfriend; I think I should do like, something for you...I'm not doing much today anyway,"  
  
"I'm...not going out with Connie anymore,"  
  
Sean narrowed his eyes. "You're not?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"She wanted to be with someone else,"  
  
"Oh," Sean stared, and then ran his hands through his hair again. "Well, shit happens. Look, if I drive you there, can you do me a favor?" Sean was hoisting himself up off the bed, and Guy couldn't help but notice the heavy stench of pot wafting through out the room.   
  
"I...guess," he wrinkled his nose.  
  
"Yeah, you wanna check with Connie to see what she's doing on her birthday weekend? I wanna take her to dinner or sumthin'. Ya know, be all brotherly?"  
  
Guy really hoped the stench wasn't getting on his clothes. He didn't want anyone to think he was smoking pot. "Yeah, sure, I'll see what she's up to and give you a call. Is it all right if we go like, now? I don't want mom to know I'm getting a ride from you,"  
  
Sean stopped smiling. "Why, what's wrong with me?"  
  
"It's not *you*, it's the fact she doesn't want me to leave," Guy shook his head. "Never mind, okay? I promise I'll talk to Connie, but we really have to go. I don't mean to rush you or anything, but..."  
  
Sean just shrugged and grabbed his car keys from the bedside table. "Yeah, don't worry about it. Is your mom being weird again?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Dude," they walked down the hallway, and through the back to the garage, Sean pulling on a hoodie he grabbed from the living room. "I've seen you grow. Your mom is messed."  
  
Guy didn't see the point in arguing.  
  
--------------------  
  
"So I guess you and Portman are splits for good then, huh?" Russ asked as he and set up the party decorations in Adam's basement. The rest of the crew was upstairs, planning everything out and raiding Adam's fridge.  
  
"Kind of..." Julie shrugged. "I don't know. He's being such a..." she shook her head. "You know, I really don't want to delve. Can we talk about something else? Portman is stupid,"  
  
Russ rolled his eyes. "Riigghhtt, of course cat-lady. So, how did you do on the history final?"  
  
"Oh god, don't ask that either! I swear, I got at least eight wrong."  
  
Russ stopped tying balloons to give her a blank stare. "You counted how many you thought you got wrong?"  
  
"Doesn't everyone?" Julie shrugged. "God, I swear, I need some sort of relaxation...would coach kill me if I got completely drunk?"  
  
Russ rolled his eyes. "I know you, and I know you're not about to go and get drunk,"  
  
Julie sighed. Russ was always right. "Russ?"  
  
Russ's eyes snapped open when a balloon popped in front of his face. "GYAH, what?!"  
  
"Do I need a change?"  
  
Russ rolled his eyes, and then granted Julie a once over with his eyes. Baggy jeans, a gray Hockey tee shirt, her hair thrown back in a messy ponytail. And a frown on her pretty face.  
  
"Yeah, Cat-lady," Russ nodded. "And I think that change is; forget the guys. Just be on your own and work your own thing out," he shrugged, and went back to looking for another balloon. "Portman and Scooter are just making things more complicated and messed up, and I personally, as the village genius, think you need to tell them to back the hell of," he sent a cheesy grin her way. "Compliments of the Cat-Bite."  
  
Julie laughed, and gave him a shove. "It's not that easy, Russ."  
  
And he gave her a serious look, which Russ never did too often, and he shrugged. "Yeah it is."  
  
Julie pouted, and bit her bottom lip. "We better go and get Guy. I'll call Scooter."  
  
Russ shook his head, and rolled his eyes again. "Whatever you say, Cat-lady."  
  
Julie ignored him, and hurried up the stairs to find Adam's portable phone so she could collect her jacket and bag while she was calling. "Adam!" She announced as she reached the top of the stairs. Connie and Averman were standing on the counter, hanging bananas from the ceiling fan with string.  
  
Julie stared, her jaw dropped open.  
  
Portman and Fulton were beside themselves laughing, Charlie and Lois were digging through the fridge for more hangable food, and Goldberg was eating the bananas that fell to the ground. Dwayne provided the string. Ken was silently sitting on the counter by Connie's feet, holding her steady every time she swayed.  
  
Adam, who probably decided long ago that it was useless to even *try* and stop them, was simply sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper.  
  
He glanced up when he heard her call, and licked his thumb to turn the page. "Yes?"  
  
Julie shook her head slightly, to regain her train of thought. "Uuh...just...where's your...portable phone, I have to," she stuttered, a banana swaying dangerously back and forth over her head. "I have to, uh...call Scooter,"  
  
From the corner of her eye, she saw Portman roll his eyes.  
  
Without saying anything else, Adam grabbed the portable, which was seated on the table, and tossed it over with out looking in her direction. Julie caught if effortlessly with her left hand, and shot a wink at Luis when he let out a wolf whistle.  
  
"Nice catch, kitty."  
  
"Of course." Julie tossed her hair over her shoulder, then laughed. "Really, though, I'll see you all later when we get back with Guy." She turned to the stairs, and yelled down at Russ. "RUSS! WE GOTTA GO!"  
  
A muffled 'yeah, yeah,' was her response, and she quickly dialed Scooter's number and rushed around to look for her jacket. Portman, who was no longer watching Connie and Averman, followed her with his eyes, and finally walked over to the kitchen table and grabbed her coat, which was hanging off the back of a chair.  
  
She didn't notice him walk over to her. So when he tapped her shoulder, she jumped.  
  
"Gyah!" She yelped, and then slapped his shoulder. "Don't TOUCH me. Oh! My jacket! Thank you!" He handed her the jacket, still silent, and the whole thing was really quite unnerving for the poor Julie. "Stop staring at me."  
  
"Don't flatter yourself," was all Portman said, and he went back to his spot at the counter, and helped Connie stand on his shoulders so she'd have better height for the ceiling fan.  
  
Julie stared at him, unsure, until she noticed that everyone was watching them, and then she quickly cleared her throat and screamed down the stairs for Russ.  
  
--------------------  
  
Guy didn't talk as Sean drove. Sean didn't seem to mind too much. He wasn't in much of a talkative mood either, as far as Guy could tell. But he didn't delve too much into it; all he could think about was his stupid mother turning her stupid back on him at the snap of Max's fingers.  
  
He sunk lower in his seat. He wanted to die.  
  
"Hey," Sean said.  
  
Guy, annoyed, glanced up only because Sean was driving him home. "Mm," Guy mumbled.  
  
"I got some pot back in the seat, if you need to relax, because seriously, dude," Sean whistled and shook his head as he looked at him. "You look like shit."  
  
Guy shook his head a little, not quite processing what Sean was asking him. "*What*?"  
  
"Smoke up a bit, you'll feel better,"  
  
Guy glanced in the back seat, and saw a small baggie lying on the footmat of the floor of the car. He wrinkled his nose, and then realized with horror, that he was so pissed off he was really, pretty tempted.  
  
But then he shook his head and turn back to stare out the window. "Nah. I'm not into that."  
  
Sean shrugged, and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "Guess not."  
  
The silence had now gone from casual to awkward. So Sean turned on the stereo, and the tunes of AC/DC enveloped Guy in his seat. Wordlessly, he stared out the window, wishing, more than anything, that he hadn't gone to his mother in the first place.  
  
'Next time she calls, screw it, she's on her own,' Guy thought venomously. And then he bit his lip, swearing at himself in his head, because he knew that wasn't true.  
  
Whenever Laurine needed him, he'd come running, and she'd never care. Because no one mattered but Max.  
  
Or maybe Guy just didn't matter.  
  
"We're like, almost there," Sean said loudly over the music. "About ten more minutes."  
  
"What time is it?" Guy asked.  
  
"Quarter after five."  
  
Guy remembered then, that he was supposed to catch a movie with Julie and Russ and Adam. Hopefully, they'd still be waiting for him. But realistically, he didn't much care. He didn't want to see anyone. He didn't want to go anywhere. He wasn't a normal teenaged boy, and there was no sense in trying.  
  
Guy was annoyed, realizing that he was going through one of his phases again. And he hated it, because all any of his friends would see it as a phase. None of them would ask how he was; because they were positive he'd be over it soon.  
  
The song switched to Crazytrain, and Sean was singing along.  
  
--------------------  
  
"Where is he?" Adam asked, glancing down the hallway, checking his watch. "He better be alright."  
  
"He's fine, stop talking." Russ shook his head. "He ain't your husband."  
  
"I'm annoyed," Julie snapped. "He said he'd be here. What if he forgot? We treat him to a movie and he's..." she checked her watch and let out a small yelp- her second one of the day. "Twenty five minutes late! Oh my god, twenty-five minutes late, everyone at the party will want to know where we are! Scooter's been waiting down there, for-"  
  
"SHUT UP," Adam and Russ snapped.  
  
Julie winced a little, but lowered her head and didn't say anything. Russ was too impatient to notice. Adam was running his hands through his hair.  
  
Finally, just as Russ was about to get started on his own rant, they heard footsteps down the hall, and then Guy came into view.  
  
They didn't say anything at start, because he looked horrible. His hair was a mess, his clothes were wrinkled, and there were huge bags under his eyes. He also wasn't smiling. He had a frown on his face. If one didn't know him, they'd think he never smiled.  
  
"Wow," Julie said. "You look awful. Let's get you inside and changed, okay?"  
  
Guy, too tired to argue, just shrugged and fished his key out of his pocket. "Where were you, Guy?" Adam asked as they stepped inside of his dorm. Guy grunted, and Adam poked his back. "Guy?"  
  
"I was at mom's. I slept at her place..." he rubbed his eyes. "Got a ride back from Connie's brother. Hey, you know," he turned to face the others, a frown on his face. "That kid is *such* a pothead, it's amazing."  
  
Julie wrinkled her nose, and Russ and Adam whistled. Though Adam really didn't look too surprised. "Does Connie know that?" He asked.  
  
Guy shrugged. "Ask her, how would I know what she knows?"  
  
Adam nodded. "Good point, go shower."  
  
Guy rolled his eyes and went into the washroom, flipping Adam off on the way in. Julie looked at Adam, unsure, and cautiously. "What's with him?"  
  
"He always gets like this. Don't worry, it's nothing personal."  
  
"Hey, hey look..." Russ looked down at the floor. There was an envelope trapped under his foot. "Look at this, it's for Guy," he turned the envelope over in his hand, and observed the writing on the top. "From Dooonnnaaa."  
  
"Nice!" Adam rushed over beside Russ as he started to open up the letter  
  
"You guys, that's private," Julie clucked her tongue. She glanced over her shoulder, and then lowered her voice. "What's it say?"  
  
"One sec, her handwriting's terrible..." Russ mumbled. "Guy..."  
  
Guy stormed into the room, wearing only his boxers, and grabbed the letter. "The walls and doors are thin, idiots," he said, and then went back into the washroom.  
  
Julie, at the sight of a shirtless Guy, started to snicker.  
  
Russ laughed. Loudly. "Hey, hat boy! You got ducks on your boxers!"  
  
Their was a pause, and then a muffled "shut up!" They all laughed. Guy, inside the washroom, did not.  
  
--------------------  
  
"Julie said she'd call from Scooter's cell when we were supposed to all go hide," Connie yawned, now sitting on the counter next to Ken, her head on his shoulder. "Jesus, I hope they hurry up."  
  
"Stop complaining," Charlie mumbled. Connie kicked him from her spot on the counter. "Ouch! That *hurt*."  
  
"Cry me a river, Cry-Baby McWoman,"  
  
Portman chuckled. "Hah! McWOMAN."  
  
"Oh shut up!"  
  
Portman nodded at Connie. "Way to be awesome at burns." Connie grinned and gave him the thumbs up. "Little Wu-man," Portman said to Ken. "You and Connie should find yourselves a closet and mack while Guy is occupido."  
  
"Shut up," Connie and Ken snapped.  
  
The phone rang then, and Charlie jumped for it. "Hello?" He paused. "Adam! Where the...oh...oh okay, well...do you want us to hide NOW?" Everyone watched, tired but interested. "Okay. Well, if you're ten minutes away...we'll hide, we'll hide. Yeah. Okay. Uh...right, you too." Charlie suddenly had a very odd look on his face. "Sure, Adam, bye."  
  
Charlie hung up, still looking slightly 'weirded out'.  
  
"You okay?" Luis asked. "You look kind of like somebody punched you."  
  
"Adam just said something weird."  
  
"Probably just some richie talk," Dwayne waved it off with his hand. "You non-Texan types talk funny."  
  
"No, serious, it was weird," Charlie insisted.  
  
Connie rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay, what did he say?"  
  
"He was all like 'miss you, see you soon'."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
Charlie cleared his throat. Suddenly wishing he hadn't said that to the whole freaking team. "Or...he was kind of sarcastic, I think he was joking. I'm just tired. We have to hide now, you know."  
  
Everyone quickly went to their hiding places, Charlie still acting a little put out, and Connie dragging Ken with her behind the couch. Ken was looking slightly red, now that he saw the suggestive looks that Portman kept shooting at him.  
  
"Hey," Connie mumbled. "Hey, do you think Charlie's just being paranoid?"  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Adam, stupid!"  
  
Ken shoved her. "It's nothing. Charlie's being a dope right now anyway. He shouldn't make Adam look bad like that."  
  
"I don't think he did it on purpose."  
  
"Just be quiet and hide, alright?"  
  
Connie rolled her eyes and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. "You like it when I'm annoying." Ken didn't respond because she was right, and hated it when people picked him apart and were right about what they found. Connie was like that though; you enjoyed it when she got on your nerves.  
  
Connie picked at her nails. "Ken, do you think this is a good idea?"  
  
Ken shrugged. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, I don't think Guy wants a party."  
  
Ken raised an eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"I think Guy..." she turned to look at Ken, and he saw that she was worried, and serious, and she was only like that, with that face, when she was worried about Guy. "I think that Guy just wants to deal with being sad alone. You know?"  
  
Ken was about to respond, and then was quiet as he observed Connie, and then grew ashamed because of the jealous swell forming in the pit of his stomach. No matter how far they would ever go with the other, Ken knew that eventually him and Connie would break up and she'd go to Guy because that was just the way it would be.  
  
Ken shook his head, then. "No. He needs to know that we care, even if not everybody knows what's going on."  
  
"You do."  
  
"I wont tell, though."  
  
Connie folded her arms across her chest. "Why didn't he ever tell me?"  
  
"You're really demanding, Connie, it isn't always easy to tell you things."  
  
Connie's face dropped. "What does *that* mean?"  
  
"Nothing, I just..."  
  
"Are you saying that..." Connie then frowned. "FINE. Portman!"  
  
Portman's head popped up from behind the couch across the room. "What?" he asked.  
  
"I'm coming to hide with you."  
  
"Oooh, the Wu-man's in trouble!" Portman grinned. "Kenny, what did you-"  
  
"Oh shut up!" Ken snapped from behind the couch as Connie scrambled her way across the room to Portman. Ken rolled his eyes, feeling more annoyed than jealous. He didn't want to think about what that might mean.  
  
He just hoped Guy was happy with the fact people cared about him as opposed to getting emotional and pushing them all away.  
  
And he hoped Connie wasn't about to give up on him. Ken didn't know how to be a boyfriend. But he didn't want Connie to leave, he wanted to stay together, he just...wanted her to know he couldn't do anything right when it came to stuff like this.  
  
There was a long silence in the room, until they heard the front door upstairs open up. Charlie stood up, shushed all of them (even though they hadn't been making any noise) and then quickly ducked behind the couch again.  
  
They were silent once more, then they heard footsteps, and Guy's voice "uuh...yeah, Adam, I don't see your-"  
  
Connie jumped up first, followed by everyone else in kind of odd synchronization. Ken jumped last, still feeling strange about the whole thing.  
  
Guy looked astonished at first, and then Connie rushed over and gave him a hug, throwing her arms around his neck. Guy's face broke into a huge grin, and he hugged her back. Then everyone else was up and about and before Ken knew it, the party had started, and he was still standing behind the couch.  
  
"How you doing?" Fulton asked, coming up next to him and handing him a coke. Ken shrugged, not even giving the drink a second glance. "Yeah, I hate parties too."  
  
"No you don't," Ken smiled. A little. "You love them. You live it up and everything, AND you make everyone laugh."  
  
"No, that's the Portman."  
  
"AND you."  
  
Fulton just shook his head, grinning. "You and Connie having a beef?" he asked, glancing around the room, looking for her. She was with Guy and Charlie, and they were all talking animatedly about...something.  
  
Ken loved watching her when she was excited. He shrugged. "Not really...same stuff as always. I'm an idiot."  
  
Fulton snorted and rolled his eyes. "Pfft, please. You're the only one of us who *isn't*. You actually listen to your head all the time instead of running around like a chicken without one."  
  
Ken had to smile. "Like Charlie?"  
  
Fulton shoved him a little. "Hey, watch what you say about the Charley Horse. He...uh..."  
  
"Has his heart in the right place?"  
  
"That's the one," Fulton nodded. "Yeah, sure, why not? I dunno, my point is, don't act all Kurt Cobain on us."  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
Fulton gave his back a pat. "It's okay, Wu-Man, just relax, really. You do fine."  
  
"I do?'  
  
"You do."  
  
Guy had made his way over to them, leaving Connie to start poking Charlie in the ribs and laughing. "Hey Ken," he grinned.  
  
Ken nodded his head. "Hi. Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine. This is..." he glanced at Fulton too. "Awesome, you guys, really. Thanks for the party. I really needed this." He put his hands in his pockets. "Uuuh...you know, I'm sorry if I've been a downer. I forget that my bad moods can make other people feel shitty."  
  
Fulton shrugged. "I'm like that too."  
  
"It's fine, Guy, really," Ken smiled a little. "You can't help it."  
  
"I should."  
  
"Well, you do fine." Ken wrinkled his nose. "Oh GOD, Portman, why are you an idiot?" Fulton and Guy glanced over and indeed, Portman seemed to be having a nice time trying to make Julie jealous with Connie.  
  
Both girls were having none of it. Connie shoved him roughly, laughing, and Julie just rolled her eyes and went off to kiss Scooter goodbye. Portman growled, and ruffled Connie's hair. She laughed again.  
  
Guy and Fulton looked back at Ken. Who walked right on by them, took Connie's hand, and gave Portman a little wave.  
  
Portman ruffled his hair too. Ken glowered. Guy and Fulton laughed, chuckled a bit, and then Averman appeared next to them, holding a six pack. "BEER!" Fulton exclaimed happily. "Where'd you get it?"  
  
"Mr. Banks sure does have a nice stash," Averman grinned, handing a bottle to Fulton, and clinking his own bottle against it. "Cheers. Guy?"  
  
"Can't," Guy groaned. "Meds for ribs. Not allowed."  
  
Fulton snorted. "Your loss, dude. And it's YOUR party." Guy shoved him and Fulton laughed. "Mooddyyy." Guy laughed a long, but then proceeded to head on over to the non-alcoholic kids of the team. Mainly Adam and Ken, but Ken was busy with Connie at the present.  
  
"Hey," Guy said to Adam, sliding up next to him. Adam nodded. He was looking over at Charlie, who was also kind of flirting with Connie. "Man, everyone is hitting on Cons tonight."  
  
"'Cause she's so off-limits," Adam answered.  
  
"They didn't act like this when I was with her."  
  
"We were younger then. Her cooties are hot now."  
  
"Ah." Guy nodded. "What about the Cat? What's wrong with her?"  
  
"Nothing," Adam shrugged, sounding distracted. "Portman likes her too much, and no one goes against the Portman. Plus, she's dating someone outside the circle."  
  
It all sounded weird to Guy, really. All he knew was that seeing so many of their teammates hit on Connie was...weird. A lot of things were weird. His mother was back home with Max, who had once again succeeded in turning Laurine against him.   
  
Guy didn't feel very real right now.  
  
And there was a scary part inside of him that regretting not smoking up with Sean. Connie came rushing over to Guy then, laughing. "Hey, come on, you going to cheer up or what?"  
  
Guy stared at her, feeling...everything. Feeling Donna, feeling Connie then and Connie now, feeling the hate for Max and the betrayal from his mother and all in all, Guy wanted to run away and not look at anyone, not see anything, even if he knew this party was for him.   
  
Connie must have seen something in his eyes. "Guy?"  
  
Guy wasn't thinking. Or if he was, it was all of her. Adam must have seen something coming, but did nothing. Just kind of watched with a raised eyebrow.   
  
Guy took Connie's wrist, pulled her forward, and kissed her, hard on the mouth. There was feeling in that kiss; more feeling than he'd ever expressed. There was anger and hurt and love and he didn't know what else. Guy just knew he felt fucked over and alone yet so happy that people knew that and partied for him anyhow.  
  
He slipped his tongue in her mouth, and for a moment, a small, tiny moment, she kissed back.  
  
Then, she shoved him away. Guy opened his eyes and looked at her. Adam looked at them. In the distance, Guy saw nearly everyone looking at them. But they averted their eyes and busied themselves with other things.  
  
Except for Ken. He just kept staring.  
  
No one said anything to him. Connie was still staring at Guy, confused, and finally, pissed. She shoved him, hard. "You're so goddamned lucky this is supposed to be YOUR night you...jerk!!" and she was holding back tears for some reason.  
  
She turned to Ken, who just nodded his head, and didn't look at her, even when she walked back over to his side. He just stared at the wall and at his water and anything but her.  
  
Guy, for the life of him, still didn't think.  
  
He just grabbed a beer and shrugged. "Guy, your meds-" Adam started. Guy glared.  
  
"Fuck that. I'll just puke it all up tomorrow."  
  
Then he might puke up the memory of everything else. Nah; but wouldn't it be amazing if everything worked that way?  
  
END OF PART 34  
  
(Can we say: crap? Yeah, I can't write. Sorry.) 


	41. Kissing Fools

Breaking Hazel: Guy Germaine  
  
Part 35: Kissing Fools  
  
By Funkiechick  
  
(I blow at writing, but alas, this fic is my baby after EYDW, and I am working hard to get my fans back. I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. So here we go.)  
  
----------------------  
  
Guy was hurling his guts out and Fulton was right next to him, patting his back and keeping look out by checking the door every so often. He was also wiping his mouth on his sleeve; he'd been hurling not too long ago as well.  
  
"Some hangover I got..." Fulton trailed off. Guy puked violently. "Jesus, Guy, why'd you drink when it reacts like this with that med stuff you're taking for your ribs?" Guy coughed and shrugged, then puked some more. "Wu-man is so pissed at you, dude."  
  
"Ugghh..." Guy spoke, then grabbed for a face cloth, wiping his mouth. "Don't remind me..."  
  
"Connie is too. And hey, you better hope to God Donna doesn't find out. She's *scary*."  
  
Guy didn't respond, really. He just threw up again, because that was really the best response he could think of...Fulton continued to pat his back, but then the washroom door burst open and both of them jumped to see who it was.   
  
It was Portman, and he ran to the next toilet and also hurled. Fulton burst out laughing. "Yaaah P-man!" Portman flipped him off. "Guy has it worse; I think his intestines are in here somewhere."  
  
"I think I'm done..." Guy panted, shakily standing up and flushing the toilet. He wiped his face with the cloth again and went for the sink, splashing water in his face and gargling some water. Portman was done pretty quickly as well, and soon all three of them were standing in a row, gargling water.  
  
"You, man." Portman pointed at Guy. "You went against the man-code. Wu hates you."  
  
"Shut *up*," Guy groaned, rolling his eyes. "I know I screwed up, okay? But I...I was weird, my head was all messed up last night, some things *happened* at my mom's place, and I didn't know what I was doing."  
  
"Yeah, well, that's kind of a lame excuse," Fulton said, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, bad things happen to me too, but I don't go off and tongue some other guys girl."  
  
Guy glared. "You know? This is none of your business. So butt out of it."  
  
Fulton snorted then, shaking his head. "Hey, who just took care of you while you puked your insides into the shitter?"  
  
"Hey, dudes, don't fight." Portman came in between them. "Wu-man wouldn't want you to be fighting about this. You know how the little dude is. So, Germaine, go apologize and...yeah, Bash Bro, let's go check out skirts down Seventh Avenue."  
  
Portman really loved Saturdays, and he refused to let anything spoil them for him. Fulton stopped glaring at Guy and shrugged. "Sure, let's go." Fulton was out the door, ahead of Portman. Probably because he didn't want to fight with Guy anymore and the only way to avoid it was by leaving the room.  
  
Portman and Guy looked at each other, and Guy folded his arms across his chest, raising his eyebrow. Waiting for Portman to take a shot at him. Portman gave his shoulder a sharp slap.  
  
"Whatever dude; I don't *want* to be involved."  
  
Then he left and Guy was standing alone, in the washroom, smelling so much like vomit he just wanted to puke again.  
  
--------------------  
  
"How you doing, Germaine?" Orion asked Guy at the sidelines at that night's practice. "Ribs feeling better?"  
  
"Sort of..." Guy shrugged. "I dunno. I will be able to play, right?"  
  
"So long as you don't do anything stupid," Orion answered, then blew his whistle. "AVERMAN! How many times do I have to tell you NOT TO PROVOKE your own teammates!!?"  
  
Averman was lying on the ice, after being shoved to the side by a very moody Connie. "At least a million more sir."  
  
Orion shook his head and skated over to Averman. "And how many times do I have to continue looking down and seeing you sprawled out on the ice?"  
  
"A million and five or so."  
  
"Okay then." Orion gave another blow of his whistle. "Alright! That's good enough for today. Remember, early morning practice tomorrow! Moreau," Orion gave Connie's back a pat. "I'd like to speak with you."  
  
Connie nodded and skated with him off the ice and into the box. Orion gave Guy a sharp look. "What?" Guy asked.  
  
"I'd like a moment alone with Connie please, Guy."  
  
Guy nodded, and avoided all eye contact with Connie before walking out onto the ice, and helping Averman up with Goldberg. "This is a good position for you Les, I'm sure Amy'll like it," Guy said.  
  
"Very funny," Averman shot back. "I don't think YOU'RE in the position to give me relationship advice. What were you thinking last night?"  
  
"I wasn't."  
  
"PLUS you have a girl like Donna already," Goldberg said, giving Guy's shoulder a shove. "Why would you-"  
  
"Yeah, not listening," Guy said, walking off. Averman and Goldberg winced at the other, before Goldberg grinned and nudged Averman with his elbow.  
  
"So, you and *who*? AMY?"  
  
"Yes, they're called women, Goldberg. I know it's a hard concept for you to understand, but SOME guys get chicks."  
  
"Screw you."  
  
"Hey." Averman looked over at Orion and Connie. "Connie looks upset. Check it out." Goldberg did, and then continued watching with Averman and Luis skated up next to them.  
  
"I heard a bit of what they were talking about before Coach told me to screw off," Luis said. "The headmaster guy? Yeah, he doesn't think Connie should be allowed to play with us anymore."  
  
Averman and Goldberg stared at Luis. "WHAT?" Goldberg exclaimed. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Yeah, I know," Luis said. "But I don't think it's too much of a problem. Orion sounded like he could handle it. I mean, she's one of our best players."  
  
"And one of our FIRST," Averman added. "What would the Ducks be without Connie? Who'd beat me up if she was gone?"  
  
"I would," Luis offered.  
  
"That was rhetorical, Miami."  
  
--------------------  
  
Connie fiddled with her hands while she sat quietly in her seat in the Headmaster's office. Orion was sitting next to her, both of them waiting for Mr. (whatever) to come in for their meeting.  
  
She was so nervous she could hardly stand it. Apparently, there'd been complaints from parents about a girl being out on the ice. And someone had mentioned how small Connie was...Coach Orion had warned her, but she'd forgotten about it up until now.  
  
"Julie is so lucky..." Connie mumbled. "No one cares if SHE plays."  
  
"It'll be fine," Orion said sharply. "Don't sulk. If he comes in here and sees a bad attitude, he'll tack that on as another reason to try and get you off the team. There's no real problem here, Connie. Everything will be fine. Look at me."  
  
Connie glanced up at Orion, her lip quivering. Just a little bit. "Are you sure I won't be kicked off?"  
  
"Not while I'm coach."  
  
Connie smiled. "Thank you."  
  
"Yes, well, just keep in mind what I told you." Connie nodded and settled herself in her seat. At that moment, the headmaster burst through the door, sporting one of his infamously ugly suits and wearing a fake smile. He took a seat across from them, and Connie forced a smile of her own.  
  
"Morning," he said. "Ma'am." And he bowed his head at Connie. It was fake gentleman behavior; he was trying to play up the fact she was a girl. "I'm glad you could both make it."  
  
"Like we had a choice, sir. One of my players is being threatened, why *wouldn't* we be here?"  
  
"Now now," he held up his hands in defense. Connie sighed and looked around the fancy, but gaudy room, at all the awards and certificates and diplomas. She noted there wasn't one family picture on his desk. "That was not a personal attack, Ted. Now, this is Miss. Moreau?"  
  
"You can call me Connie," Connie said.   
  
"Of course," he smiled. "So, Connie, what position do you play?"  
  
Connie cleared her throat, and Coach Orion nodded his head, urging her to continue. "Well...I'm left wing."  
  
"And is that a dangerous position?"  
  
"No more dangerous than right or center, really." Connie shrugged her shoulders. "It's not like I'm an enforcer or anything. And I can take hits just as good as the rest of the team."  
  
The headmaster sighed and rubbed his finger across the bridge of his nose. "You have any bruises, Connie?"  
  
"Well, duh, but that's-"  
  
"Injuries-"  
  
"That's not-"  
  
Orion broke in. "It's quite normal for a hockey player to get a few cuts and bruises when playing. She has the same number as any of the boys on the team. She's a good player. Have you seen her?"  
  
"I have." The headmaster took this moment to go to his computer, pressing a key, causing the screen to light up. "In fact, we've been watching Connie very closely. And you can't deny that the boys gun for her. She gets more hits than any of the other players on the ice."  
  
Connie made a confused face. So, she hadn't noticed she got more hits. Maybe it was because she was used to it. And it's not like any of the players were very strong anyway. "Yeah, but I'm fine. They're all pussies." Orion winced, and the headmaster shot her a shocked look. "Well they *are*."  
  
"That doesn't change the facts, Miss. Moreau," the headmaster said. "How tall are you?"  
  
"She's tall enou-"  
  
"How tall are you?" The headmaster was doing everything he could to intimidate Connie and keep Orion out of the conversation. He must have thought Connie was defenseless without him. She wasn't.  
  
"I'm 5'2 or 3," Connie said, and then shrugged her shoulders. "But you know, that's why I'm left wing. I'm faster then some of the other players because I'm smaller."  
  
"And skinnier," Headmaster said. "If one of those huge boys from another Varsity High School team were to check you, seriously check you, into the boards..." he leaned forward in his seat, staring at Connie. "You'd snap like a twig. And we can't let that happen."  
  
"It WONT happen, sir," Orion broke in. "I don't send Connie out to be killed, I send her out to play. She's very capable of defending herself, she's been doing this since she was very young."  
  
There was a long silence as Connie and Orion stared down the Headmaster, and finally he sighed before leaning back in his chair and rubbing the bridge of his nose again. It seemed to be a nervous habit.   
  
"Well them," he said. "I'm not going to have her taken off of the team, however..." he trailed off. "We'll be watching her very closely, Ted. If she's getting slapped around on that ice-" Orion gave Connie a sharp look to keep her from barking out an indignant reply. "Well then...we'll have to seriously re-consider her position on that team."  
  
Orion nodded. "We understand. Don't we, Connie?"  
  
Connie didn't understand at all. She also didn't think it was fair. But she nodded her head anyway. "Yeah, no problem."  
  
"Very well," the headmaster looked over at his computer screen again. "I hate to kick you out, but I have a lot of work to do. I'll see you both in the near future."  
  
Orion nodded once more, and took Connie's arm and steered her out of the office, and down the hallway. Connie looked up at him, and he indeed loomed over her. Yet she didn't seem so small when she played or talked or any of that. She had a huge, strong personality and she was a damn good player.  
  
Orion refused to let them take her off of the team.  
  
"Everything will be fine, Moreau," Orion assured her in a stern voice. "You don't have to worry about anything."  
  
"Coach?"  
  
"Mm."  
  
"Thank you." Connie smiled. "It's nice to be looked out for sometimes."  
  
He looked down at her, and didn't quite smile, but he wasn't frowning either. "Well...you just keep up the good work, Connie, and I'll keep an eye out for you." Connie nodded and then hurried off down the hall way. "See you at practice tomorrow morning, Moreau!" He called, and she waved as she turned the corner.  
  
Yes, he'd keep an eye out for her.  
  
She reminded him of his daughter. They had the same eyes.  
  
--------------------  
  
Guy lounged lazily on his bed and Ken did homework and the room was full of an awful, awkward silence. Guy yawned and chucked a stuffed football up at the ceiling, catching it as it came back down. Ken was completely silent as he studied.  
  
Guy felt guilty, but more about how guilty about kissing Connie he should feel. He was avoiding Donna, and Connie, and any sort of confrontation with Ken. But they dormed together, so ignoring him completely was almost impossible. But he was working on it.  
  
He'd just had to kiss her, then. Something about the way her eyes had been shining and the smile she had and for a second, Guy almost thought they were together again. Or maybe had never even been apart.  
  
He didn't notice Ken turn around in his seat, and he didn't even notice Ken staring at him until Ken caught his football mid toss.  
  
Guy looked at him, and Ken looked right back. "Can I have that back?" Guy asked.  
  
"Oh sure, would you like Connie back as well?"  
  
Touche.  
  
"Listen, Ken-"  
  
"No," Ken said sharply. "YOU listen. Because I'm sick of sitting around and having you tell me all these excuses as to why you do what you do. I know things are hard for you. I don't know what happened at your mom's place, Guy. I *don't*. And I feel bad about being angry with you when your life is like this, but...." Ken swallowed. "She means a lot to me, okay? And you just don't care about anyone else but you. Because you don't think anyone else has had shit happen to them."  
  
Guy flared up. "That's not true!!"  
  
"Guy, my dad died," Ken shot back. "And that still hurts, but I'm happy and I deal and I don't try and bring everyone down with me."  
  
Guy was silent. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know he brought everyone down with him. "So what?" Guy's voice sounded pathetic and small. "What, the party was just to make me shut up? Is that what it was?"  
  
"No, Guy, that's not what I meant," Ken sighed. "The party was for you. We hate how bad you're feeling. I want to tell everyone what's wrong with you because frankly, I don't know how else you're going to get better."  
  
"I'll do it in my own time, that's how." Guy was angry now. Glaring. Half worried he'd jump on Ken and punch him repeatidly. "I don't need anyone's help. Least of all YOURS. Like YOU ever know what you're talking about."  
  
Ken bit his lip. Then he looked pissed too. "Fine, you know what? I don't care. I don't, fuck you." There was a long silence after that. Ken didn't swear. Ever. And Guy had driven him to this. Guy had...done a lot of things to Ken, really. "And Guy...don't kiss my girl."  
  
"She's not *your* girl, she's her own girl."  
  
"Fuck you. Don't kiss her." Then Ken stood up, and he left the dorm, leaving his homework and things left behind and abandoned. Guy glared at Ken's books, and then realized Ken hadn't given him back his football.  
  
"Just steal everything from me, don't you, asshole?" Guy muttered, lying back on his bed.  
  
There was a knock at the door, and Guy glanced over, expecting Ken to be back and ready to apologize, like he half-expected him to, but instead saw red hair and full lips and a big gray hoodie.  
  
"Hey," Guy said.  
  
"Hi," Donna replied.  
  
"Did you hear all that?"  
  
"What the fuck do you think?"  
  
Guy sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. "I guess you did." Donna came into the room and sat at the foot of the bed. "I kissed her at my party."  
  
"Why the hell did you do that?"  
  
Guy shrugged. "I wanted to kiss her? I dunno."  
  
Donna snorted. "Sorry, Guy, but 'I dunno' isn't gonna cut it. I'm not going to put up with crap like this." She looked at him, and Guy was a little surprised with the softness that was in her eyes. "Is everything okay at home?"  
  
Guy hated the question, even if she was just trying to be nice and make him feel better or whatever it was. He still hated it. Some people were giving him slack because they knew, and everyone else just felt sorry for him.  
  
When did he become an asshole?  
  
"No, Donna, don't," Guy said. "Don't ask about how things are at home. I kissed a girl behind your back and you're not breaking up with me."  
  
Donna bit her lip. "I dunno, I might. Depends on how I feel by the end of the conversation."  
  
Guy's heart sank. "You're serious, aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah. But I still like you, so I'm not sure what I'll do. Obviously you like someone else."  
  
"I don't *like* Connie, she's just..." Guy trailed off, trying to think of words that could possibly make the whole situation believable. "Connie is Connie. I'll always feel the way I do about her, I can't help it. But I *like* you."  
  
"That doesn't make any sense, Guy," she said.  
  
"I know, but you know what I mean, I can tell you do. You're just trying not to."  
  
Donna stood up. "You know what you need to do?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Get over it. Seriously. We're all sick of this."  
  
And then she left too. Really, Guy was amazed at the number of people who had stormed out of the room he was in that day. He stared at the ceiling once more, glad that Donna was gone. So he had to get over Connie. Okay. So he had to learn to deal with his mom and Max. Okay.  
  
It wasn't that simple.  
  
He wished it was. But nothing ever was simple with Guy. As soon as he thought things were going to be okay, they weren't. He didn't know if he had anyone to talk to...except...  
  
Guy reached for the phone and dialed. He listened to the rings, praying to God that he would be there...  
  
"Yyyo," the voice said.  
  
"Jesse, hey."  
  
"Hey, Guy."  
  
--------------------  
  
Guy sat on the bench in the locker room the next morning, sitting next to Charlie, who already had his pads on and was all ready to go. "How's the ribs?" Charlie asked him, good natured, smiling. At least Charlie wasn't mad at him.  
  
"I'm playing our game Friday." Guy smiled. "If I don't...you know, fall down some stairs and ruin them again."  
  
"You wont," Charlie assured, and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Hey uh...just so you know, the whole thing at the party-"  
  
"I know, I'm an idiot."  
  
"No no," Charlie broke in. "Well, yeah, but I'm not mad at you. You're not perfect, it was a mistake. Everyone's been giving you a really hard time, so...I'm just letting you know that...well, mistakes happen."  
  
Guy had to smile. Good 'ol Charlie. At that point, Connie came inside with Julie and Russ, and when she saw Guy, she absolutely glared at him. Guy rolled his eyes and continued talking to Charlie, who gave him an eye in return.  
  
"You better talk to her though, man, serious," Charlie said. "After all, she's your friend."  
  
Guy grumbled. He knew that Charlie was right and he'd planned on talking to her anyway, but it's not like she looked too psyched on talking with him.. "Connie?"  
  
"What?" she snapped.  
  
"Can I talk to you?"  
  
"No."  
  
Well, she got her point across. But Charlie was on top of it for Guy. "Oh come ON, Cons."  
  
Connie made a face at Charlie, folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at Guy. "So?"  
  
"Come ON," Guy said, grabbing her wrist and dragging her out of the locker room, just as Ken came in. Timing was perfect, really, and the look Ken was giving him wasn't fantastic either.  
  
Guy took her just out into the hall, and turned to face her, his face slightly red, her face slightly pissed off. "What?" she asked again. More snappish. He'd really blown it.  
  
"I'm sorry, okay, so stop blowing it out of proportion, it was just a kiss."  
  
Connie snorted. "JUST a kiss? How can you say that? I'm WITH someone, even if it was 'just a kiss' to ME, it wasn't 'just a kiss' to KEN. I'm sick of you doing things without thinking of the consequences!!"  
  
"I KNOW," Guy said, then snorted in frustration. "God, I know, I didn't mean to kiss you, okay?"  
  
"Then WHY did you DO it, Guy?" She didn't look angry now. Just kind of hurt. "I really like Ken! I do, I really like him, and this just screwed some of it up. He doesn't have a lot of confidence you know. And he's your friend, and I'M your friend and it just...messed things up."  
  
Guy nodded, the guilt finally starting to settle. "I know, Connie...and I'm sorry."  
  
She was looking in his eyes now. "No you're not, Guy."  
  
He laughed a little. "Okay, I'm not. But you are."  
  
Then Connie was biting her lip. "No, I'm not either, really. I dunno, it was kind of nice to know that you still wanted to kiss me. I hate saying that, I sound like a slut, but it's..."  
  
"You don't sound like a slut, Connie."  
  
"Yeah, I do." She looked at him. "I don't see how I can like Ken so much and then...god, I'm gonna just shut up and leave." She turned on her heel. "Bye G-" But Guy grabbed her wrist again and pulled her towards him. And stared at her. She stared back. And they just stared at the other for awhile before...  
  
Before Guy dipped his head and she tilted hers and they were kissing again, passionately, and Guy pinned her slightly against the wall, her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands down at her waist.  
  
Guy moaned against her kiss and probed his tongue at her mouth, and Connie allowed him to deepen the kiss, leaning back into the wall. Guy kissed her, and kissed her, wondering what the hell he was doing and then not caring at all because he had Connie again and he was kissing her.  
  
Then there were footsteps and the sound of Portman laughing really loudly, and Connie and Guy quickly disentangled themselves from the other. They were both flushed and panting and looking very guilty and horny, so they did the only thing they could think of to look unsuspicious.  
  
They gave each other a knowing look. Grinned, and then..."Oh you are SUCH an ASSHOLE, sometimes!"  
  
"Yeah, well you're a TEASE."  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"Screw you!"  
  
Portman, who was also with Fulton and Luis, winced, and then they eased into the locker room without saying anything. Connie smiled at Guy and he smiled back.  
  
"Smooth," she said.  
  
"You too."  
  
Then they just kind of stood there, staring. Finally, Connie was the one to leave first, going into the locker room without saying anything. Guy stared after her. What had just happened? Who'd kissed who first? Or was it mutual? She'd kissed back, that was for sure...  
  
What did all of this mean?  
  
Guy stood there, and it took him a very, very long time to go back into the locker room. He just stood there, as before...  
  
Only he was smiling a little bit.  
  
END OF PART 35  
  
(no, Guy is not suddenly happy and the spell is not over. He's still got a lot of shit he has to deal with, which probably means, I'm sorry, that him and Connie wont have anything like a relationship for awhile. BUT, I'm sad to say, Guy doesn't want a relationship at all, so Poor Donna...  
  
anyway, hoped you liked.) 


End file.
